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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661427">I Don't Know Why The Caged Bird Sings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic'>ETNMystic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Our Eternity Together [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown &amp; King, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Fandom RPF, Multi-Fandom, Our ETerNity Together (Web Series AU)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Hypnosis, Kidnapping, Mind Control, also despair, and there might be death, goddess worshipper complex, golden bird, i'll make it work somehow, robed fucks, someone's coming back, this might slightly contradict the fugitive au, yup she's making her debut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:41:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661427</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(This was the best title I could come up with right now)</p><p>Mystic, Andrea Russett, Ivy, Alice, Ro, and Gabbie, fall into a cult of human-like creatures who claim Mystic to be their salvation. But they may just be even crazier than the six of them initially thought, especially their Headmistress, Emmy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>ETNMystic (Fandom RPF)/Ivy Flora, ETNMystic (Fandom RPF)/The Mystic | Andrea Russett, The Big Game Hunter | Oli White/The Journalist | Eva Gutowski, The Daredevil | Roi Fabito/The Super Spy | Teala Dunn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Our Eternity Together [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1337809</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. When You're Falling Down, The World Is Still Confusing As Fuck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aka, this is why you don't do drugs, kids.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darkness.</p><p>There was so much darkness.</p><p>It was pretty much only darkness. All there was was darkness, and a shit-ton of it.</p><p>That feels like the only way I can really start this off, also because I'm trying to reach at least a thousand words per chapter so that it looks like I'm not a shit writer who gives no fucks. I mean, the first part might be true, but I do give fucks about my writing. In fact I give most of my fucks to two things: my loved ones and my passions. And creative writing is one of my passions. But sometimes I'll go on tangents that might only slightly relate to what I'm supposed to be writing about. And I'm not saying anyone who doesn't write 1 thousand words per chapter is someone who doesn't care. I just have that benchmark for myself. I should probably stop before someone gets angry with me. </p><p>Anyway it was really dark, but I kept trying to delude myself into thinking I'd gotten used to the sensation of falling. It was going horribly. I was always one foot away from feeling like I was gonna puke down the hole in the tree that we had all fallen down into.</p><p>"How long have we been falling for?"</p><p>That was the first question I asked when we were submerged in darkness for at least....what? An hour? Maybe two? I don't know, but it was really far down, wherever it was this long-ass hole was taking us too.</p><p>"You tell me," Andrea replied.<br/>"It's too dark and too long for me to tell."</p><p>"Are we even close te the bottom?" my girlfriend Ivy asked. </p><p>"I don't know. Where are we even going?"</p><p>"Why are we asking questions none of us know the answers to?" I asked.</p><p>"I feel like none of us are thinking as clearly as we'd like to admit."</p><p>"You don't say...."</p><p>I wanted to bang my head against a wall, but I'd probably get splinters if I did. All of a sudden, we heard some more screaming. It was coming from above us. </p><p> "Are you kidding? <em>More people </em>are falling?!?" Andrea exclaimed. </p><p>"Great," I huffed.<br/>"Because I <em>totally</em> needed to drag more people into this mess."</p><p>"Love, it ain't yer fault," Ivy assured me.<br/>"S'bad luck is all."</p><p>"That seems to be the theme here then. Well, that and a long list of people who seem to be utterly obsessed with me."</p><p>"Yeah, we might wanna try to avoid those," Andrea sighed.</p><p>We all went a few minutes more without saying much. I was trying to hold in my stomach and keep my head on.</p><p>"Can someone knock me out?" I asked, growing tired of the sensation of falling.</p><p>"No need, love," Ivy said.<br/>"I see a light!"</p><p>I looked down, and sure enough, there was one. But I didn't have enough time to look because we landed on a mattress. </p><p>Something I've noticed....okay, maybe I'm just bullshitting this, but whatever.....is that the first thing that you see and/or hear is an indicator of the kind of situation you're in. For instance, if you wake up to find yourself in a desk and hearing a lecture on fractions, you're probably in math class. If you wake up and see your family with a cake, you're probably at your house celebrating your birthday. If you wake up in a secret underground facility being harshly interrogated by policemen, then you're probably being interrogated by your enemies who have just captured you as you were trying to deliver a package to a fellow volunteer, a package which contained some horseradish, a coupon book, some peppermints, a can of parsley soda, a crow feather, a deflated heart balloon, a lion's tooth, a recipe for pasta puttanesca, an entry on the Incredibly Deadly Viper, a bag of flour, a torn shred of a Hotel Denouement uniform, and a book left behind on an island, all for a secret convention of information collection.</p><p>However what we saw and heard when we first fell held no indication of what kind of situation we were in. Above us was a circle of what I liked to call Robed Fucks, in which their hoods covered their faces. And then we heard screaming getting closer until Alice and Ro almost crushed us.</p><p>"Ow! Talk about a crash landing," Alice groaned as she landed on her stomach.</p><p>"Alice, what are you doing here?" I exclaimed.</p><p>"I have no clue. I saw you fall down, and then Ro came to check on me. Now I'm here."</p><p>But that was when we heard another scream.</p><p>"'O is it this time?" Ivy asked.</p><p>"Hold up, I think I recognize that scream," I told them.<br/>"I think it's her...."</p><p>"Who?" Alice asked.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>THUD!</em> </strong>
</p><p>"Ow!" she said.<br/>"That's gonna hurt like a motherfucker soon enough."</p><p>"Gabbie?" Alice exclaimed.<br/>"How did you fall down here?"</p><p>The Hollywood Star shrugged.</p><p>"No fucking idea. I just saw you and Ro fall down the tree and I wanted to see if it was real or if Carol had slipped some drugs into the campfire last night. What the fuck is going on here?"</p><p>"That's what I'd like to know," Andrea said.</p><p>"Our savior has returned to us," the Robed Fucks above us chanted.</p><p>My head shot back up at them.</p><p>"Your whatnow?" I asked.</p><p>"Long live the incarnation of the Golden Bird."</p><p>I was 99.9% sure they were on drugs.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"Yeah," Ro groaned as she rubbed her head.<br/>"I'm confused too."</p><p>"Make that three," Andrea raised her hand.</p><p>"Four," Alice added.</p><p>"I think it's pretty safe to assume that all six of us have no idea what the actual fuck is going on right now," Gabbie asserted.</p><p>"We mean that our savior, the darling little golden bird, is back where she truly belongs."</p><p>This one came from a woman with....possibly a British dialect. The Robed Fucks made way for a woman with platinum blonde hair in a white worksuit. Weird choice of fashion, but okay. </p><p>"I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>The woman smiled.</p><p>"You have been sent to relieve us of our suffering."</p><p>Now I was 100% certain they were on drugs.</p><p>"Uh, can you maybe clarify please?"</p><p>The woman beamed. </p><p>"You are the human incarnation of the songbird we were born from, and only your voice can relieve us of the horrific suffering that we bear."</p><p>And now I was 1000% sure they were on drugs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Paradise?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is also probably a lesson of why you shouldn't do drugs.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"You are the human incarnation of the songbird we were born from, and only your voice can relieve us of the horrific suffering that we bear."</em>
</p><p>I <em>really </em>needed time to dissect and analyze a sentence like that. Honestly it was probably the weirdest thing I'd ever come across in this journey thusfar. Yes, it was even weirder than an infection that makes someone overprotective, a set of three trials used to measure how well someone knew <em>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, </em>Safiya going insane, a woman trying to turn me into the perfect daughter and destroying a coven at the same time, Nagito Komaeda as the Phantom of the Opera, a Scottish Hotel Lady being an agent of the Cursed God, a bath that places you in a dream state to make you pure and innocent, a Victorian christmas hallucination dream world, a candyman wanting to create a utopia to make up for the way his half-brother was treated by their parents, a pyramid of relics that, if you touched one, would transform you into a servant/fiancé(e) of a deity from mythology, a town that's only visible during the month of October, a toy and candy workshop powered by the innocence of a person, and a summer camp that turns its campers into Stepford smilers. Because to some extent, those could be possible. Something could go wrong in a biolab to create the infection, some nutjob could actually try to test you on <em>Alice in Wonderland, </em>Safiya <em>could </em>go insane, I could probably give explanations for everything.....</p><p>Okay, maybe not the Scottish Hotel Lady being an agent for the Cursed God, but aside from that, almost everything. </p><p>But a cult of human-like beings born from a songbird whose pain can only be relieved by a single person's voice? That....was too far out. The only explanation I could think to rationalize this was that these people were on some serious hardcore drugs.</p><p>"Do.....do you <em>know </em>what you're even saying?" I asked.</p><p>"Quite well," the woman replied almost instantly.<br/>"It's embedded into our DNA."</p><p>"I feel like you people need to go to rehab."</p><p>She kneeled down, and stroked my hair. I cringed.</p><p>"Oh, darling. I understand that this must be a shock since you've spent so much time around those lesser beings known as humans--"</p><p>"Hey!" Alice snapped.</p><p>"--but I assure you that, once you are immersed into the life you are supposed to be living, everything will come together."</p><p>"I highly doubt that," I growled pulling away.<br/>"I'm not doing shit!"</p><p>The woman frowned </p><p>"Oh dear.....she's much more deluded than I thought. I figured that the lesser world would make her forget, yes, but I didn't think it would make her become so adamant about it being where she's meant to be that she denies her own destiny."</p><p>"Yer all deluded!" Ivy snapped.<br/>"Ye've all lost yer marbles!"</p><p>"I assure you that our marbles are quite found."</p><p>I sighed. Maybe I should try to humor them.</p><p>"Okay, look. Let's say this whole savior thing is real. What if I'm the wrong one? What if you've made some sort of mistake? If you want your suffering to be relieved, you're gonna want the right person, right?"</p><p>The Robed Fucks turned and spoke to each other. Ripples and murmurs emerged. </p><p>"Hmm, yes," the woman nodded.<br/>"She makes a good point. Earnest, bring in the concoction."</p><p>Another Robed Fuck emerged from the back with a mug. The woman took it and handed it to me.</p><p>"Just a sip of this, dearie, and we'll be able to know for certain whether or not you are who we seek."</p><p>I glanced down into the mug. It looked like a sort of watery honey, the golden liquid sparkled slightly in the cathedral-style lighting. I shook the mug a little, watching the concoction move.</p><p>"What is it?" I asked the woman.<br/>"Is it some sort of poison?"</p><p>She looked as though I'd told her I had a friend who murdered for fun.</p><p>"Of course not! Why would we kill our savior?"</p><p>I wasn't really comfortable with this whole "savior" thing, but I figured I should just get it over with so that they could apologize and let us go free. Hands trembling, I brought the mug to my mouth and took a small sip. The concoction flowed down my throat exactly like a sort of watered-down honey, but it tasted very sweet and warm with a slight tanginess to it, kind of like lemon-and-honey tea. </p><p>"Well?" Ro asked.<br/>"How is it?"</p><p>I smacked my lips a bit.</p><p>"It's not bad....very sweet, a bit tangy, kinda warm---"</p><p>All of a sudden, I felt something begin to form in my throat, something warm, but slightly fiery. It was shooting upwards, trying to escape. At first I tried to hold it back, but this soon came to be a tough task. So instead I closed my eyes and let it out.</p><p>It was a song.</p><p>Now if you know me, you know I'm anxious about singing in front of others. So this was majorly anxiety-inducing. Nonetheless I felt a familiar warm glow around me as I sang. My muscles were tense and I felt a pit in my stomach, so I just kept my eyes shut and waited. Once I was done and I opened them up, I noticed that the Robed Fucks and the woman looked much more....rejuvenated. Happier, or at least as far as I could tell, as the robes concealed most of their faces.</p><p>"It <em>is</em> you," the woman gasped.<br/>"We have our savior, and possibly her saints."</p><p>"Saints?" Andrea asked.</p><p>The woman nodded as she clapped her hands. The Robed Fuck from earlier brought out five more mugs and handed it to each person.</p><p>"I'm not drinking this," Alice shook her head.</p><p>"If you do not," the woman said matter of factly. <br/>"Then we'll have to kill you."</p><p>Nope. I wasn't letting that happen.</p><p>"None of them have to drink it. If you kill her, or anyone else, I will kill myself."</p><p>They all became panic-stricken.</p><p>"But we must know if they can sing, if they're worthy of being your saints."</p><p>"They're worthy as fuck."</p><p>"Only those who are able to sing can become your saints. The rest must be disposed of."</p><p>"As I said, if you kill anyone--"</p><p>"But---"</p><p>"If I'm your 'savior,' then on my orders, you'll not kill them. Instead you'll let us go."</p><p>"I'm afraid we cannot do that. But if it is your word, we shall spare them and make them your saints."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>The woman nodded.</p><p>"Now...I am the headmistress of our group. You may call me Emmy. And what earthly name did they give you?"</p><p>"Mystic."</p><p>Emmy gave this some thought.</p><p>"Mystic......Hmmmmmm......Not entirely earthly, but also not entirely befitting for a goddess such as yourself. Hmmm.....I think Celeste would suit you much better. It's very ethereal and lyrical."</p><p>
  <em>I mean, I do tend to have a good Celestia Ludenberg impression.</em>
</p><p>"Now we shall lead you to your room."</p><p>"Hey! She doesn't have to go anywhere with you," Gabbie snapped.</p><p>I looked back at Gabbie and mouthed to her, and the rest of them.</p><p>"It'll be okay, I'll talk to you later."</p><p>With that Emmy clapped her hands and a throne on poles appeared.</p><p>"Do...do I have to?"</p><p>"A goddess such as yourself shouldn't have to walk all that way," she told me.</p><p>I didn't want to seem pretentious, but I still wanted to humor them a little, so I thought "Fuck it." I stepped onto the throne and several Robed Fucks lifted it. </p><p>"Take the saints to their dorm. Do not harm them in any way."</p><p>They began ushering the others to the dorm while I was carried away. I began to wonder what exactly would become of me if I did get absorbed in a life like this. It was an idea that both intrigued and frightened me, but eventually I decided I would cross that bridge when I came to it.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. When It Dawns on Her</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which a certain writer takes some initiative and manages to get people to listen for once.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Gabbie? Where are you going?!"</p><p>In the chaos, Delta had spotted Gabbie rushing off. </p><p>"Gabbie!"</p><p>But the Hollywood Star was clearly very focused in on whatever she was doing. All this time, Delta had been feeling rather excluded. Her skills weren't being put to use, even though they could very well come in handy, and no one was really acknowledging her at all. The death challenge she'd just barely survived was the first time she felt she'd played a big role. </p><p>
  <em>Time to take matters into my own hands.</em>
</p><p>She charged after Gabbie, trying to avoid sticks scraping against her legs. Delta was so focused on where she was going that she failed to take notice of the rock in front of her. Her whole sense of balance was put off as her ankle slammed against the rock. She fell forward, her eyes automatically closing.</p><p>Pain surged through her body as she hit the ground. Delta tried not to make any noise in fear of anyone else hearing. </p><p>
  <em>But does it matter? I'm invisible as it is.</em>
</p><p>Then she felt it, a searing pain in her left ankle. Opening her eyes to check, she was greeted with a horrific sight. Not even an inch away was a wooden spear that had been hammered into the ground. </p><p>
  <em>Oh crap! Any closer, and I would've been in Skewer City!</em>
</p><p>Gritting her teeth, Delta pushed herself up and tried to find where Gabbie had gone, but her ankle was in severe pain. Nonetheless, she kept pushing forward. Maybe this time someone would give her some acknowledgment of her existence. Switching between hopping and quickly limping, Delta tried to track Gabbie's footsteps. </p><p>That was when she came across the clearing. Peeking through, she had only a few seconds to be astonished, as she saw Gabbie fall down in the tree.</p><p>
  <em>What the heck? Is that even plausible?</em>
</p><p>At this point, it didn't matter. She had to tell the others. Pushing the fear of being invisible to the back of her mind, she limped over to find them again.</p><p>"Guys? Where are you?" she called out.<br/>"Hello?"</p><p>After several minutes, she found that they had all stopped to come up with some sort of plan.</p><p>"But we don't even know where we should go next," Matpat sighed.<br/>"Usually this stuff keeps falling into our laps."</p><p>"More importantly, we've lost six of us," Joey added.</p><p>"We're going to need to find out where they went," Penelope said.</p><p>
  <em>This is it, Delta. This is your chance. Just jump the gun. </em>
</p><p>"I know where Gabbie is," she said.</p><p>"If we just knew where they were last seen," Matpat said.<br/>"Then we'd at least have some sort of a lead."</p><p>"But we were all in chaos. How the hell are we supposed to find anyone when it feels like everyone was in Panicville?" Aoibhe exclaimed.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe you were a little too quiet.</em>
</p><p>So she repeated.</p><p>"Hey! I know where Gabbie is!"</p><p>"We could each try cover a part of the woods," Yana suggested.<br/>"Sybille, Trig, and the rest of us know this place pretty well, not by choice, but all the same."</p><p>"Do you have a map of the forest?" Manny asked.</p><p>"I think one of us does. Let me get it out."</p><p>Anger began building inside of Delta. She was the one who had a lead as to where at least one of them had gone, and yet no one was giving a crap. To them it was like she didn't even exist. It wasn't the first time either. It was one too many, and she'd had it.</p><p>"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT YOUR TRAPS AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONE SECOND?!?!" she screamed.</p><p>Everyone whirled around in shock, their eyes wide at the surprise outburst.</p><p>"I know where Gabbie went."</p><p>"Well then why didn't you tell us sooner?" Nikita snapped.</p><p>"Excuse me, Miss Wig Snatcher, but A. I just got here, and B. You all treat me like I don't even exist!"</p><p>"We're sorry," Joey sighed.<br/>"We've just been in all of this chaos."</p><p>"Where did she go?" Safiya asked.</p><p>"See, I'd show you, but I twisted my ankle on a rock."</p><p>Cecelia scrambled over in a panic.</p><p>"Let me see."</p><p>She pulled up the pants legs. The left ankle had swollen and was now rather red.</p><p>"Oh, you poor dear!" Cecelia gasped, hugging her.<br/>"I'm so sorry I didn't speak to you earlier."</p><p>
  <em>I mean....you joined in later. And I still don't know if you're trustworthy or not.</em>
</p><p>"I can take you back to the cabins and watch over you."</p><p>"But I'm the only one who knows where the clearing is," Delta argued.</p><p>"Delta's got a good point. Your name's Delta, right?" Saf asked.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>"We're not gonna be able to find them without her."</p><p>"But the sweet girl's in so much pain. Look at her ankle!" Cecelia said.<br/>"She's in no condition to walk."</p><p>"You and I can support her," Safiya suggested.</p><p>Cecelia helped Delta up and Saf went on her right. They stepped ahead of the group.</p><p>"Okay, show us where they went," Joey said.<br/>"Please?"</p><p>Delta sighed. She still felt slightly bitter about being invisible, but she supposed it was better now than to never be noticed. They began walking.</p><hr/><p>After about five minutes, Delta began to get slightly irritated at how much attention Cecelia was showing her. </p><p>"Darling, that's the twentieth time you've tried to walk on that foot," she scolded again.<br/>"Putting weight on it will only make things worse."</p><p>"I'm not used to only using 1 leg."</p><p>"I know, I know, but you'll need to rely on others for support."</p><p>"I'm not a kid, Cecelia."</p><p>"But you're incapacitated."</p><p>"That doesn't mean you can talk to me like a child."</p><p>"We all need a little fawning and coddling now and then, sweetie. Plus, you're rather adorable."</p><p>"I'm a grown woman."</p><p>"That doesn't mean you're not cute."</p><p>
  <em>I'm starting to realize why this upsets Mystic sometimes.</em>
</p><p>Finally they were at the clearing.</p><p>"She fell into that tree at the top of the hill," Delta pointed.</p><p>They looked as though she'd gone insane.</p><p>"I saw it with my own two eyes."</p><p>"I mean, we've seen weirder shit," Saf shrugged.</p><p>With some coddling encouragement from Cecelia, much to Delta's annoyance, she made her way up along with the group.</p><p>"How the hell could she have fallen down a tree?" Bretman asked.</p><p>"There's probably a hole in it or something."</p><p>"Really? Cuz I don't see anything but bark."</p><p>Delta was confused, but soon she saw. Peeking around she was stunned to see that the tree was closed up, no holes in sight.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Divine Makeover</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oh what's that? You thought the series was........dead?</p><p>Not a chance.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It felt.....both awesome and embarrassing to be paraded around on a poled chair like that. Everywhere I looked, there were more Robed Fucks. Working, assembling, sewing, cooking, cleaning, fixing, the works. And each time I passed, they all stopped whatever they were doing, often to the detriment of their work, and bowed. Part of me was like "Yeah, that's right. Bow down, bitches. I'm your new queen," another part of me was like "This shouldn't be happening. This isn't right. I need to get out of here," and another part of me was like "Dude, your kitchen just caught on fire. Fucking put it out before you burn the place down."</p><p>But now that it was actually happening.....I was beginning to lean towards the first one.....For a lot of my life, I'd been outcasted. I've always been different from most of my peers, and as such I was treated that way. Bullied, ostracized, abused, made to feel like who I am was wrong, manipulated, betrayed; I always felt that so many of my relationships had been ending in failure. To put me in a situation where, not only could I be safe, but I could also assure my friends' safeties, and I'd be treated as though I actually mattered for once; or hell, be treated like a goddess, was all too tempting of an offer. And yet it was odd that I had trouble accepting small compliments. But why? Was there something to one of them that made me cringe at it, but not the other? Maybe it was the directness of it? The briefness? The fleeting hope? I wasn't sure. I've always been a mess of contradictions.</p><p>For the moment, I felt a fleeting sensation of despair, which is odd. Normally despair is a passive emotion. It's not something you have to work to keep up, because people don't usually like seeing despair. So instead you have to work to demonstrate hope. But this time, it was the other way around. Hope was a passive emotion to me now. What was going on? Was I being manipulated into loving the lifestyle of being treated like a goddess? I had no clue.</p><p>"You haven't a clue as to how much we've been longing for you, darling," Emmy cooed.<br/>"The hope that you'd one day return is the reason we persisted. And it's paid off."</p><p>We stopped at a set of double doors. Covering it was a royal silky red, with gold engravings lining the sides, door knobs, and little details. Golden birds, small and delicate, were rather prominent. Some of the Robed Fucks stepped forward and opened the door. As soon as I saw the room, my jaw was close to dropping.</p><p>Calling it a room would be a dramatic understatement. It was almost like a whole palace in itself. There were fountains on both sides, each one about the size of a luxury swimming pool. There were doors decked out in all of this fancy shit. Gold was engraved practically everywhere, on practically everything. Pillars, statues, crystals, mirrors, it was like luxury had thrown up onto a large-ass room. I was simultaneously impressed and terrified at the sheer size of it all.</p><p>"Wha....what the---?"</p><p>I was too astonished to even speak, and Emmy seemed happy about that. </p><p>"Isn't it just marvelous?" she beamed.<br/>"It's nearly everything a living goddess like yourself deserves."</p><p>"I still have no idea what you're talking about with all of that, but okay?"</p><p>"You'll understand and become accustomed to it in time, my dear. Now come along."</p><p>The Robed Fucks carried me to a room far down at the end of the palace/room/castle thing where they opened another set of double doors. Inside was a room practically fit for a queen: no, not a queen. For a goddess. If this was some sort of drug-induced delusion, as I was still 99% sure it was, they were really going the extra mile to play up this fantastical world. They finally set down the chair and I got off. </p><p>"Now," Emmy said, clasping her hands together.<br/>"First thing's first: we must give you a makeover and then replace that horrid plebeian outfit with something much more divine."</p><p>Of course this bitch would use a word like "plebeian." She certainly looked like someone who would. I looked down at my outfit.</p><p>"This dress is fine."</p><p>Emmy chuckled and pat my head.</p><p>"Darling, I understand that you're not yet accustomed to who you truly are, but those fibers are far too plain for someone of your standard. You're a living goddess, <em>our </em>lovely living goddess, and it's not right to let her wear such earthly threads."</p><p>With the clap of her hands, two female Robed Fucks took me to a bathroom where I was given modesty to undress and get into the bath, but they wouldn't let me even touch the shampoo or any of the hair care products, and told me that the water would take care of my leg hair and wash my body. They also applied a strange face mask, which made my face feel cold. The whole time, they were fawning over me, which only made me want to sink into the water even more. </p><p>"Oh, how gorgeous you are, Celeste!"</p><p>"Such an ethereal beauty!"</p><p>"Crafted by the songbird herself."</p><p>"Truly a masterpiece of the divine heavens."</p><p>I was getting pretty uncomfortable, but they didn't seem to give too much of a shit. Once it was all done, they turned around to let me out of the tub and my body felt the smoothest it had ever felt. On top of that, my legs were perfectly shaved. I took the soft and fluffy robe they provided me and put it on. The second it was tied, they slipped my feet into soft slippers and took me over to another area where they continued working on my face. They were extracting blackheads, white heads, everything, and I couldn't feel anything. They were also brushing something through my hair, plucking my eyebrows, putting various lotions, oils, perfumes, etc,. on my skin.</p><p>"What's all this for?" I asked.</p><p>"It's so you can commune with the divine songbird who created us."</p><p>Oh. Well, I guess I was gonna live up to the name Mystic. See, people don't understand what a mystic <em>actually </em>is. From what I've read, it's someone who talks to a divine entity, like God or Jesus or whoever. It's not someone who does potions and sees the future. That's just misinformation.</p><p>Once I was finished, they brought over an entire rack of intricate and elegant clothing. Many of them were engraved with golden threads to some extent.</p><p>"No, seriously," I gulped, intimidated.<br/>"The dress that I had on is just fine."</p><p>The two female Robed Fucks still wouldn't listen and they ushered me into a fancy dressing room, where I was immediately prepped, praised, and pampered once again. They'd turn away when I was changing, (at least they'd let me have <em>some </em>sort of decency) but otherwise, I was being spun over to this mirror and that mirror and compliments came from every single direction. </p><p>Finally, they settled on a white silky, long bat-wing-sleeved Guinevere gown laced with gold, a celestial crown, a moon and star pendant, other various shimmering pieces of jewelry, a pair of silky white gloves, and a set of white sandals. They did my hair up a bit as well, with a few curls here and there. And the makeup was very naturalistic and minimalistic, aside from some gold and silver eyeshadow and some small face paintings of moons, stars, and birds. Along with it, they gave me a scepter colored gold with text engraved in it that I couldn't understand. </p><p>They ushered me out and showed me to Emmy, who was positively beaming.</p><p>"There," she sighed.<br/>"Now you look like your <em>true </em>self."</p><p>I didn't <em>feel </em>like my true self, though. I felt so...unnatural.</p><p>"This is.....too much," I shook my head.<br/>"I don't think I'm meant for this."</p><p>"Nonsense!" Emmy objected.<br/>"This is <em>exactly </em>what you're meant for."</p><p>"I don't feel like I am. It feels like too much."</p><p>"You'll grow to be used to it in time. Now, I think it's time we show you to your temple."</p><p>"Temple?"</p><p>"Of course," Emmy giggled.<br/>"What is a goddess without her temple?"</p><p>I was immediately put back onto the chair, and carried out of the room. As I was being paraded down the spiral steps, one question was running through my mind.</p><p>
  <em>What did I get us into?</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Beloved</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I was carried back down through the room we landed in. I didn't feel any less weird than I did a moment ago. I actually felt <em>more </em>weird. Me in all of this regalia? Me, a living goddess? Was this legit? Or was this some sort of joke? I mean, I'd had people who wanted me to be royalty, but nothing beyond a queen, at least until now.</p><p>
  <em>"There is </em>
  <b>
    <em>no way </em>
  </b>
  <em>in hell that I'm wearing that!"</em>
</p><p>I heard Gabbie's voice yell through the door.</p><p>"Oh?" Emmy sounded intrigued.</p><p>"Suppose we check on your saints, dear Celeste."</p><p>"No, it's fi---"</p><p>I didn't even finish before I was carried inside with fanfare.</p><p>
  <em>Oh God. This is embarrassing. </em>
</p><p>"Mystic!" Alice called out.</p><p>I looked up. She was wearing a bird hat, some makeup, and a robe made to look as though she was a sort of colorful, but dark, bird.</p><p>"Damn," Gabbie exclaimed, still in her normal clothing.</p><p>"You look sexy, Mystic."</p><p>"Looks great, love," Ivy said.</p><p>"Can I get down now?" I asked.</p><p>Emmy huffed.</p><p>"A goddess shouldn't have to walk on such horrific human ground."</p><p>"Hey, humans aren't all shitty!" Andrea snapped.<br/>".....Most of the time.....I think....."</p><p>"We never said they were," Emmy assured her.<br/>"We simply said their ground was horrific."</p><p>"That's.....basically saying the same thing....." Gabbie said.</p><p>"Anyway, whatever is the matter?" Emmy brushed the remark aside.</p><p>"Oh yeah, I'm <em>not </em>wearing that hideous fucking robe."</p><p>The Robed Fucks and Emmy gasped for some reason.</p><p>"But Miss Gabrielle---" the Robed Fuck who was holding it said.<br/>"It's customary for all saints to wear these."</p><p>"It's hideous and <em>not </em>my color."</p><p>"I'm only wearing it if I can have a joint to smoke," Andrea said nervously.</p><p>"Besides, Ivy doesn't have to wear one!" </p><p>"We do not have a robe made for her height as of current, so she is an exception."</p><p>Gabbie scowled.</p><p>"Well, shall we continue along?" Emmy asked.</p><p>"Can they come too?"</p><p>"If you wish for them to."</p><p>I nodded. To be honest, aside from the fact that I love my friends and girlfriend to death, this was a security measure. I still didn't quite trust these people, and if they were actually planning to treat me like a songbird, I wanted to be prepared for a rescue. For all I knew, they were actually going to kill me. Or worse, they had a birdcage there just waiting for me to be locked inside, and I was <em>not </em>about to go down that road. </p><p>So they put me back on that chair, picked me up, turned me around, and carried me out with the others just following along. On that chair, I was probably up to Ivy's shoulders, maybe her head if I was being generous. Now I had no idea how long this palace stretched on for, but it was a good ten or twenty minutes power-walk to get to said temple, maybe thirty. And at that point in time, I was slightly relieved that I didn't have to walk. While I was being carried over to the temple, I looked over the staff they gave me. I still had no clue what those inscriptions said-there wasn't any sort of divine epiphany or anything-but I figured that maybe if I winged it, I would eventually come up with a rough translation. It was......a very rough draft of a plan, but when you're somewhere new with no language guides or Google Translate and you're scared to ask what these things mean, you kinda just end up trying to piece it together for yourself and hope you don't die in the process.</p><p>So finally we stopped at this other set of double doors. Emmy opened it and unlike what I was afraid of, it was <em>not </em>a birdcage. Instead it was a throne, and behind the throne was a long and high set of stairs that lead up to a long and high platform which housed <em>another</em> throne, a couch formed into a large semi-circle behind it, and also <em>another </em>throne directly behind <em>that </em>throne. There were also several dozen luxury amenities, both on the large pedestal and on the ground, and almost everything in that room, in terms of structure, seemed to be made of crystals: basically, Joey would've had a heart attack if he was in the room. </p><p>"What the fuck is this?" Andrea gasped.</p><p>"It's Celeste's temple," Emmy said matter-of-factly.</p><p>"This looks less like a temple and more like a palace," Gabbie remarked.</p><p>"Yeah, no kidding," I nodded.</p><p>"Are you sure this is what I deserve?"</p><p>Emmy gasped.</p><p>"Of course not, my darling goddess. You deserve <em>much, much, much </em>more than simply this."</p><p>"Simply?" Alice questioned.</p><p>Without another word, Emmy clapped her hands and the Robed Fucks carried me up the large stairs, gesturing to the others to wait before carrying on. It took probably a good five to ten minutes to get up there: yeah, that was how high up we were. They sat me down on the throne in front and Emmy seated herself on the throne behind me. So when the Robed Fucks left, it was just us two. </p><p>"How are you feeling?" Emmy asked me gently.</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"It....it still feels wrong. I feel like I just.....don't deserve all of this praise."</p><p>She sighed as I felt her hand on my head, her thumb rubbing on it gently.</p><p>"Oh, sweet darling, I understand. You've been living in that human world for so, so long. They've made you believe you're worthless, haven't they?"</p><p>Reluctantly and shamefully, I nodded.</p><p>"I'm autistic," I confessed.<br/>"So the world doesn't accommodate to people like me. Or even tries to understand me."</p><p>"Well, you needn't worry about that, my precious girl. We are very understanding of communication problems. What matters is that you've saved us from misery and suffering. And I can tell that, while the earthly realm may have hardened you a slight bit, it <em>did </em>give you something that I was worried you wouldn't receive amongst the divinities."</p><p>"Oh?" I asked intrigued.<br/>"And what would that be?"</p><p>"Unbiased love," she sighed.<br/>"Strong trust, unwavering kindness. Clearly you have found such lovely and caring friends."</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>"They've been my stronghold," I admitted as I could feel my eyes begin to water.<br/>"They're so sweet and kind and.....they accept me for who I am. Honestly, without them, I don't think I'd be here. There've been days where....I just wanted to give up and end it all....I didn't think I was worthy of living....."</p><p>Emmy gulped a bit as my voice cracked and tears fell from my eyes. Then I heard her stand up and come around. She then hugged me close, a few tears in her eyes.</p><p>"Oh, darling," she said softly as she rubbed my back soothingly.<br/>"My darling girl......please......<em>never ever </em>think that you aren't worthy of life. You are ever so precious to me. Not simply because of you being a goddess, but because I could tell from the moment I laid eyes on you that you are a very loving and sweet person. We aren't often around people such as you. Many of the others who have passed through here have been completely hardened by life, cynical, and hateful, certainly not fit to be here. But not you: I can tell that you've been through so much......and yet in spite of it, you're still sweet, caring, loving, and have a sense of wonder about the world. How wonderful it is to have such qualities, particularly at your earthly age!"</p><p>"But......those traits don't fit into the world," I cried.</p><p>"No, not always, I'm afraid," Emmy sighed.<br/>"But here.......oh, in here, they are <em>all</em> encouraged. If you have a pure heart, it shows, and a pure heart is a treasure: a treasure whose value one cannot simply state with mere mortal words. Here you have no need to be vicious or cutthroat, no need for cynicism or jaded ideals. It will be all love, kindness, and being treated as you are meant to be treated. Like a goddess. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"</p><p>"I....I don't know...." I gulped nervously.</p><p>She hugged me closer.</p><p>"It's alright, darling. As I have said, you'll get used to it."</p><p>I stayed in her warm embrace for some time before I heard the footsteps of the others approach. Emmy let go and showed the others to their spots. Ivy was placed behind me, but once they left, I was gonna have her switch with Alice who was beside me.  </p><p>"Are you all comfortable?" Emmy asked.</p><p>We nodded. </p><p>"Good--"</p><p>All of a sudden, we heard some yelling from up above.</p><p>"It sounds as though it's coming from the foyer. Wait here. We may have more saints."</p><p>Emmy and the Robed Fucks descended back down, leaving me high up on this throne with my friends.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Yeet of the Ankle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Delta gets herself into a bit of a situation, in which Cecelia still dotes on her and she refuses, but ends up regretting it.</p><p>Also Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Delta was stunned. No hole? But then how did Gabbie fall down?</p><p>"Are you sure this is where she went?" Bretman asked.</p><p>"I know what I saw," she retorted. <br/>"But....I don't know how that hole just...disappeared."</p><p>"Then we'll need to figure out a way to get it open," Matpat said.</p><p>"Lemme help."</p><p>"Nonsense!" Cecelia gasped.<br/>"You'll hurt yourself."</p><p>
  <em>Please stop. I don't want to be treated like this anymore.</em>
</p><p>"I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse."</p><p>"It's not a question, Delta," she said.<br/>"I'll be looking after you."</p><p>"I'll be fine," she insisted.<br/>"I have first-aid training, I know CPR, and I have......."</p><p>
  <em>What else do I have?</em>
</p><p>"......info."</p><p>
  <em>Because none of you would ever listen to me, or even acknowledge my existence since I got....magicked in here or whatever.</em>
</p><p>"But you also have a sprained ankle," Cecelia reminded her.<br/>"You need to rest it. Does anyone have ice?"</p><p>Closing her eyes, Delta pursed her lips and huffed in annoyance.</p><p>"Really. I don't need you to wait on me. Besides, how do we know we can even trust you?"</p><p>All of a sudden, two people ran in, panting.</p><p>Or rather, a demon in a twenty year old's body and a plant boy.</p><p>"Envy!" Aoibhe exclaimed.<br/>"Where the hell have you been?"</p><p>"Nice to see you too," Candy Pop grumbled.</p><p>"We were just....." Envy panted.<br/>".....we ran into someone."</p><p>"MrBeast?" Trigorien asked hopefully.</p><p>Envy just looked confused.</p><p>"Wha....no, it's a long story---wait.....where's Alice? Where's Ivy?!?"</p><p>Everyone else looked at each other.</p><p>"Should......should we tell him?" Andrea B asked.</p><p>"Tell me what?!?" Envy gulped.</p><p>"It's fine," Hyacinthe assured him.<br/>"It's fine."</p><p>"Actually, it's not fine," Ines said.<br/>"But go off, I guess."</p><p>"We....actually don't really know," Taylor sighed.<br/>"But apparently, Alpha---"</p><p>"Delta," she interrupted.<br/>"My name is Delta."</p><p>"Whatever. Anyway, she apparently saw Gabbie fall into a tree."</p><p>Before anyone had the chance to react, two people burst into the clearing. </p><p>"Oh God," Lyra huffed.<br/>"Not more characters."</p><p>"Seriously, what are you on?" Dooper asked in awe and confusion.</p><p>"Where the......where the fuck is this?" one of them panted.</p><p>"Who the fuck are you?" Nikita demanded.<br/>"And how did you find us?"</p><p>Candy Pop and Envy glanced over at each other. </p><p>"Um.....yeah, about that...." Envy gulped.<br/>"We <em>may </em>have found a few new people."</p><p>All of a sudden, a flash of black stumbled into the paradise, along with a flash of green. </p><p>"Great," one of them huffed in a voice similar to Sophia Anne Caruso's.<br/>"You just <em>had </em>to give away our cover."<span class="u"></span></p><p>"Hey, chill out, Lyds," another said in a voice like Alex Brightman's in a title role of a recent musical.<br/>"It's not my fault these two breathers blew our cover first."</p><p>"What is it with all of these new faces showing up out of the blue?" Genevieve asked.</p><p>"More cannon fodder?" Parris asked.</p><p>"Way to be optimistic," Montana scoffed.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, but we barely get a chance to speak and you know that too damn well!"</p><p>"Yeah, but I don't bitch about it 24/7!"</p><p>"Oh my God!" Orpheus groaned.<br/>"Will someone just shoot me in the head already?! You two are so fucking annoying!"</p><p>"All three of you need to can it!" Audley snapped.<br/>"Right now, we need to make sure that these guys aren't spies for the Cursed God."</p><p>The four of them looked confusion.</p><p>"The what?" One of the first two asked.</p><p>"Shouldn't we get their names first?" Yana asked.</p><p>"Bernhard," the first said.</p><p>"Desiderio," the second followed.</p><p>"Lydia Deetz," said the third.</p><p>"I'm legally not allowed to say my name," said the fourth.</p><p>"His name is Beetlejuice," Lydia said in a flat tone.</p><p>"Isn't he....a demon?" Montana gulped.</p><p>"Technically he's a ghost," Delta clarified.</p><p>"Doesn't really make things any better," Aoibhe said.</p><p>"Who are you working for?" Audley asked.</p><p>The four looked at each other in confusion.</p><p>"I mean.......we're not employed anywhere if that's what you wanna know," Desiderio shrugged.</p><p>"Do you know who the Cursed God is?" Cedar asked.</p><p>They shook their heads.</p><p>"What the hell is going on here?" Lydia wondered.</p><p>"We're trying to open this tree," Teala replied casually.<br/>"It might not be as crazy as it sounds, honestly."</p><p>"Might, being the keyword," Bernhard scoffed.</p><p>"Then let's get to work and find out," Joey said.</p><p>As the group began to observe the tree, look for a button or something that they could use to get this open, Delta tried to hobble over to help, but Cecelia kept a strong grip on her.</p><p>"No," she scolded gently.<br/>"You need rest."</p><p>She lead her away from the group, or rather she tried to while Delta struggled against her.</p><p>"I'm more than capable of helping."</p><p>"You still need rest. I am <em>not </em>discussing this."</p><p>At this point, they were on the part of the hill where, if you made a bad move, you could topple down and possibly break your neck. But Delta was so focused on being able to make herself useful that the thought didn't even occur to her.</p><p>"And I'm not debating either," she told her.<br/>"I am going to help them, and that's----"</p><p>Delta had pulled away from Cecelia pretty hard. She tried to steady herself, but it was too late. She toppled and rolled down the mountain. On the way down, she thought she heard something crack, but she tried to pass it off as an auditory hallucination or something. But once she hit the bottom, the pain registered in her nerves. It was a sharp pain in her sprained ankle.....or rather it <em>was </em>sprained. But now.....it was kind of a bit more than sprained. </p><p>Cecelia and a few others raced down the hill to her aid and helped her up. Trying to move on her own hurt like hell, but Delta tried not to show it. Nevertheless, Cecelia seemed to have ESP or something, because before she could get even an inch up the hill, Lilith already had her locked in a tight grasp.</p><p>"Oh, poor girl," she soothed.</p><p>Part of Delta felt as though Cecelia was just trying to mock her, but the pain in her ankle overrode that thought. </p><p>"As I said, I am <em>not </em>discussing this," she continued.<br/>"You are going to rest, and <em>that </em>is final."</p><p>Delta was mentally kicking herself at this point. Why hadn't she been more careful? Why hadn't she just calmed down before any of this had happened? Now it was too late to take it back. And the worst part was.....Cecelia was right. She knew, from taking first-aid training, that she needed to rest it.</p><p>
  <em>So much for being useful......</em>
</p><p>Delta bowed her head as Cecelia lead her to a lush patch of greenery to lie on while the others began hunting. Lydia and BJ had already gotten in on the action. Both of them were humming a bit, mostly Lydia. She felt along the trunk when all of a sudden, she felt it push forward and slide to the right. She tried to keep her balance, but something seemed to be pulling her in. Safiya, Matpat, and Colleen tried to help her out, but somehow, they began to lose balance as well. Aoibhe felt herself wanting to help as well, and she tried. So did Liza, Bailey, and Tana. But they soon caved. </p><p>All eight of them fell down the trunk, screaming the whole way down as the trunk closed and shut, leaving the rest of the group shook.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A Luxury Life For Me?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second they were out of earshot....</p><p>"Alice, any chance you could switch places with Ivy please?" I asked.<br/>
"And Gabbie, would you be cool with swapping with Andrea?"</p><p>Both of them shrugged.</p><p>"Sure," Alice said.</p><p>"Why the hell not?" Gabbie asked.</p><p>They swapped, when my eye caught sight of a remote. I picked it up. It had buttons labeled with numbers in a semicircle. I pressed the first button and Ivy's section of the couch came closer to me. I then found a little d-pad. By messing around with it a bit, I figured out how to back the throne behind me up and basically merge my throne into the couch. I immediately asked Alice and Gabbie if they'd switch back and soon, Ivy and Andrea were right beside me.</p><p>"Holy fuck," I gasped happily.<br/>
"We can cuddle here."</p><p>"They still never gave me my joint," Andrea huffed.</p><p>"I've thought a little bit about smoking weed," I admitted.<br/>
"But honestly, with the way my brain works, I don't really know if I need to get high to have high thoughts."</p><p>I also found some more remotes and basically managed to transform the place into a fucking lounge. Yeah, a lounge. Like with a coffee table, minifridge, the works. </p><p>"Holy shit," Gabbie gasped.</p><p>"Bro, I don't know what the fuck is going on," Andrea said.<br/>
"But this....is lit. Can you become a goddess, like, everyday please?"</p><p>We all laughed.</p><p>"That's a whole-ass mood," Gabbie giggled.</p><p>I smiled. </p><p>"No kidding. To be honest, I'm starting to think that maybe I'm finally getting some good karma for all of the shit I've been put through."</p><p>I really did. Any suspicion was starting to be pushed from my mind. Maybe I was <em>truly</em> some sort of savior or something? I don't know. </p><p>For a while, we just sat there taking in the scenery and whatnot. It definitely <em>was </em>made for a goddess. I didn't think it could get any better, but according to Emmy, it could. But how? How could any of this get any better?</p><p>There were a few, however, who did have reservations.</p><p>"Mystic?" Alice gulped.<br/>
"I.....I have a bad feeling about this."</p><p>I turned to her, chuckling.</p><p>"What do you mean, silly?"</p><p>Her face told me, however, that she wasn't being silly.</p><p>"I mean, it's not like I'm not happy for you....I am. But....doesn't this just seem....too good to be true?"</p><p>I gave this some thought. She was right. It <em>did </em>seem too good to be true. But.....maybe this time it'd be different. </p><p>"So what?" I scoffed.<br/>
"Maybe finally I'll feel happy."</p><p>"This isn't how you get happiness, though."</p><p>"Are you trying to tell me how I'm suppose to get my happiness?" I snapped, a little irritated by her skepticism.</p><p>"No!" she insisted.<br/>
"I'm just saying.....what if there's more to this than meets the eye?"</p><p>More than meets the eye? I rolled mine.</p><p>"Oh come on!" I scoffed.<br/>
"The one time I actually feel important, someone has to butt in and tell me it's wrong?"</p><p>"I'm not trying---"</p><p>"Oh please! It's clear that you're just jealous."</p><p>"I'm not! Mystic, I'm saying this as your friend: there seems to be something more, maybe even something.....sinister. I mean, why would they give you all of this nice stuff?"</p><p>"Because I'm going to heal them, that's why."</p><p>"But you don't even know their terms for being healed. For all we know, that could involve something that ends with you.....I don't know.....dying or something."</p><p>"They said they wouldn't kill me."</p><p>"People can say things."</p><p>"And a lot of people mean what they say!"</p><p>"We've only known <em>these </em>people for, like, half an hour."</p><p>"Okay, both of you calm the fuck down," Gabbie snapped.<br/>
"Maybe this is a good thing, maybe not. But for now, I just wanna enjoy this. If something bad happens, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."</p><p>"We can't do that if Mystic's dead!"</p><p>"Cecelia said there was a way to bring our friends back from the dead. I'm sure that we can bring her back too."</p><p>"Cecelia's only <em>just </em>defected to our side, though. How are we supposed to be able to trust her?"</p><p>"I'm kinda with Alice on this," Ro said.<br/>
"We don't really know if Cecelia's reliable. For all we know, she could still be working for the Cursed God as a spy."</p><p>"Well, right now, she's our best chance of getting our friends back."</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"But just in case Alice is somehow right and there <em>is </em>something wrong with all of this, could we at least enjoy this while we still can please?"</p><p>Alice looked conflicted, I could tell. I could say that, on one hand, she wanted me to have fun, but on the other hand, she wanted us to be safe. </p><p>"Just give this a chance....please?"</p><p>She sighed reluctantly.</p><p>"Fine. But I'm gonna see if there's anything up with this."</p><p>"Not if I beat you to it," I said.</p><p>"I thought you wanted to enjoy it."</p><p>"I do, but it seems weird."</p><p>"What exactly is weird about it?" Ro asked.</p><p>"Just.....this entire thing. But like I said, maybe I <em>am </em>actually some sort of a goddess or savior or something and I'm destined to relieve their pain. Maybe for once I can be useful instead of just running away whenever even the most minor inconvenience happens."</p><p>There were a few moments of silence.</p><p>"So....you think were gonna get more of these saint people or whatever?" Andrea R asked.</p><p>I shrugged.</p><p>"Who the fuck knows? I just hope the others are handling themselves alright."</p><p>"Last time I checked, they were heading off to some random part of the woods with Lilith, something about trying to find a well of resurrection or or some shit."</p><p>"Well of what?!?!" I exclaimed.</p><p>"Resurrection."</p><p>I smiled excitedly.</p><p>"Holy fuck. We could actually get our friends back!"</p><p>"Okay but 'ow are we gonna get there?" Ivy asked.</p><p>I shrugged.</p><p>"Simple. We just ask Emmy and those Robed Fucks if we can go."</p><p>Andrea R blinked like that meme guy.</p><p>"What?" I asked.</p><p>"I don't know if it's gonna be that simple," she pursed her lips.<br/>
"They seem like they need you here."</p><p>Hearing this, I scoffed.</p><p>"C'mon, I'm their savior. They can't say no. We'd just ask, leave, bring a friend or two back, and then get back here."</p><p>I leaned back, my anxiety going down.</p><p>"I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"</p><p>
  <em>Mystic.....you dumb-ass bitch.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Return of the Puzzle Master</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group reunites with someone who they thought was lost and they decide to find the Well of Resurrection.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Delta was stunned as she heard the voices of her friends, and several strangers, fall into the tree, and then that tree closing. It was as though nothing had even happened. She tried to stand up to see what was going on.</p><p>"Uh, uh, uh," Cecelia scolded, holding her close.<br/>"I don't want you damaging yourself any more, darling."</p><p>Meanwhile the others discussed what the hell was going on.</p><p>"This is....ridiculous," Justine exclaimed.</p><p>"Everything up to this point has been ridiculous!" Glozell sighed.<br/>"This isn't anything new."</p><p>"Well, we need to figure out how to get it open," Joey said.<br/>"Maybe if we do that, we can all go in there and figure everything out."</p><p>"Okay, but what are we even gonna do when we get down there?" Nikita asked.<br/>"We don't know what we're even up against."</p><p>"Maybe Cecelia knows something," Teala suggested.<br/>"I mean, she was the one who talked about the Well of Resurrection nearby. Maybe she knows what's down in that tree."</p><p>Everything fell silent.</p><p>"I'm sorry, the what of what?" Joey exclaimed.</p><p>"The Well of Resurrection," Andrea B said.<br/>"Teala and I overheard Cecelia talking about it with Alison and Calliope."</p><p>"Well then why didn't they tell <em>us</em>?" Joey snapped.<br/>"It'd be ideal to know where it is."</p><p>"And just leave all the rest of them down there?" Teala exclaimed.</p><p>"To be fair, we wouldn't have to worry about so many people dying," Montana shrugged.<br/>"Hell, we might even have a chance to abandon the traitor."</p><p>
  <em>"Hello?!? Anyone?"</em>
</p><p>A familiar voice called out from beyond the paradise. </p><p>"That's not--!" Lauren exclaimed.</p><p>"But it's---" Eva stammered.</p><p>"That's his voice," Destorm said.</p><p>And then he burst through along with two others.</p><p>"Alex!" Lauren called out relieved.<br/>"You're alive! How did you-?"</p><p>"I had a little help from some people," he admitted.</p><p>Jaiden and Rene followed behind, stunning the rest of them.</p><p>"H-how?" Delta stammered.<br/>"You were zombified!"</p><p>"We had a little help as well," Rene shrugged.</p><p>All of a sudden, Alex spotted Cecelia and charged at her infuriated.</p><p>"Get away from her!" he yelled.</p><p>"Alex!"</p><p>Lauren dashed down the hill before reaching him and holding him back.</p><p>"Alex, it's okay! Cecelia's on our side now!"</p><p>"But Delta--!" he said.<br/>"She's hurt. She must've hurt her!"</p><p>"Uh....that...was actually my bad," Delta replied sheepishly.</p><p>Joey rushed down the hill and pulled Alex into a hug.</p><p>"Oh my God!" he cried.<br/>"I thought you were a goner!"</p><p>"Joey, I'm fine," he assured him before looking to Delta.<br/>"She doesn't look so good."</p><p>Looking down, Joey saw her swollen ankle. </p><p>"Oh my God!" </p><p>He knelt down and took a look at it.</p><p>"Was it that bad?"</p><p>She pursed her lips, feeling embarrassed about her fight against Cecelia's help.</p><p>"I, uh, I kinda broke my ankle."</p><p>"When?"</p><p>"She refused to let me help her," Cecelia piped up.</p><p>
  <em>Cecelia....why?</em>
</p><p>"Does anyone have any sort of medical training?" Joey called out.</p><p>"I have first-aid training," the sheepish writer told him.</p><p>"Okay, but how the hell are you gonna give first aid to yourself?"</p><p>"It's really not that difficult."</p><p>By this time, Alex was growing impatient.</p><p>"Okay, but....what even is this place?" Alex stammered.</p><p>"That's what I wanna know," Lauren said.<br/>"And why we didn't know about it before."</p><p>"I personally want to know about this Well of Resurrection that Miss Fire Hair mentioned earlier," Destorm said.<br/>"If we can find it, we could bring back some useful people."</p><p>"I'm with Destorm," Taylor said.<br/>"It'll be our best chance of survival--"</p><p>"But not our best chance of being in the story," Orpheus scoffed.</p><p>Hearing this, Dooper looked at him in astonishment.</p><p>"Did...did Lyra give you those drugs?"</p><p>The aforementioned rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Okay, look. I think a few of us need to figure out how this tree works," Joey announced.<br/>"And the others need to find this.....Well of Resurrection."</p><p>"Can this well also transfer people back into their own bodies?" Candy Pop asked.</p><p>"Is that all you think about?" Tristen asked.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry! You think I like being stuck in this body!?"</p><p>"No, but still-!"</p><p>"Will you both calm down?!" Ines snapped.<br/>"I know this is the stupidest idea, but I think we need to split up. Half of us will stay here to figure out how the tree works, and the other half will go with Cecelia to this Well of Resurrection. We'd be killing two birds with one stone."</p><p>That was when Teala had a thought.</p><p>"Is there anyone else who can sing?"</p><p>Justine, Alison, Genevieve, and Glozell raised their hands.</p><p>"I think you four should stay here. Call it a hunch, but I believe that this tree may have some connection to people being able to sing."</p><p>"Wow!" Nikita said condescendingly.<br/>"You actually said something useful for once!"</p><p>"Hey, leave her alone!" Roi piped up.</p><p>The Troublemaker rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Oh look. Mr. Daredevil's stepping up for his girlfriend."</p><p>This caused the two of them to sputter like car engines.</p><p>"What? My girlfriend? Teala? No!" </p><p>Beads of sweat were falling down his face.</p><p>"Roi? My boyfriend?" Teala scoffed.<br/>"Yeah right."</p><p>Her heart was pounding.</p><p>"Okay, let's get back on topic," Joey explained.<br/>"Half of us will go to find the well, the other half will stay."</p><p>"I suppose I'm needed at the well," Cecelia sighed.<br/>"But I simply can't leave this sweetheart alone--"</p><p>"Calliope and I can stay back and watch her," Alison said bluntly.</p><p>Hearing this, Cecelia blinked.</p><p>"Oh, uh, very well then."</p><p>"I'll go find the well," Teala volunteered.</p><p>"Me too!" Roi exclaimed eagerly, causing Nikita to try to stifle a laugh.</p><p>The rest of the group was split off and the Well Squad was about to head off when---</p><p>"Wait," Genevieve exclaimed pulling out the soul jars.<br/>"I have a feeling you'll need these."</p><p>Ines took a hold of them.</p><p>"Yana and I will keep them safe," she nodded.</p><p>"What's in there?" Bernhard asked.</p><p>"Souls," Ines answered.<br/>"Of our friends who've died."</p><p>"That should've been obvious," Orpheus scoffed.</p><p>"Okay, are we gonna go or are we gonna go?" Bretman asked.<br/>"This bitch wants to bring back some bitches."</p><p>The Well Squad headed out.</p><p>However there were two who decided to stay close to one another.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Future Obligations of the Future Foundation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Teala and Roi try to keep relations on the DL, and Montana uncovers a stalker.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roi and Teala felt a little awkward walking next to each other, especially what after Nikita had said. In their minds, they were trying to convince themselves that there was no way they could love each other, at least not in a romantic sense. They were just friends. Buddies. Chums. Pals. Friendos. Comrades. Other synonyms for friends.</p><p>The point being that they were trying desperately not to make anything out to be bigger than they thought it should be, especially with the Beauty Guru trio being in the Well Squad as well. If they caught wind of even a hint that Teala and Roi might be even slightly romantically involved, they would never hear the end of it. It didn't help that Nikita and Manny were still hanging the ice skating thing over their heads. It wasn't their fault that Stella was an avid shipper of the two of them, and they couldn't control whether of not people shipped them together. But their self-persuasion also felt somewhat in vain, for each time they caught even a single glance of one another, their hearts would flip in their chests and butterflies would flutter around it, while their cheeks began to feel as hot as a burning kitchen stovetop.</p><p>The silence between them only made the tension worse, as they hoped and prayed that the other of the two would speak up, say something-anything-to diffuse the sensation of awkwardness. Finally Teala broke the silence.</p><p>"Hey," she said sheepishly.<br/>"Thanks for standing up for me, you know, about what Nikita said to me."</p><p>Roi looked over at the Super Spy beauty. Just the mere sight of her was enough to make his mouth curve upwards into a shy and goofy grin.</p><p>"It was nothing," he said.<br/>"That's what friends do, right?"</p><p>Teala nodded shyly.</p><p>"Yeah, totally. Friends....they stand up for each other."</p><p>"Yup. That's what.....friends are for. Friends........"</p><p>The silence returned, practically ramming down on the two of them like a skeleton on a motorbike saying, "Beep, beep, you love-struck motherfuckers. Just kiss already!" It didn't help that they were lagging behind the group, all except for the Beauty Gurus who were suspicious about the two of them being so....close. </p><p>"Oh my God. Why can't they just kiss already!?" Bretman groaned impatiently.<br/>"They'd be so cute together!"</p><p>"You should've seen when Stella made them ice-skate during that Nutcracker challenge," Nikita scoffed.<br/>"They were so awkward that it was kinda fucking adorable."</p><p>"Okay, but they need to be awkward and in love. Why does this have to be a slow burn?"</p><p>"Don't worry," Manny huffed.<br/>"We're gonna catch them getting close to each other. Just you wait."</p><p>That was when they heard someone hit their head.</p><p>"Ah!"</p><p>"Is that?" Manny asked.</p><p>"Plant Boi?" Nikita finished.</p><p>They went over to check on him. Meanwhile Teala and Roi felt their anxieties go down a bit. Nonetheless they still felt a little shy being next to each other. Suddenly Teala felt something brush against her left hand. She looked down to see Roi's just lifting from it. The two stopped and made eye contact with each other.</p><p>"Oh, sorry!" Roi apologized, quickly moving his hand away.</p><p>"No, it's fine," Teala assured.<br/>"It.....your hand feels.....nice."</p><p>"Thanks," he chuckled embarrased.<br/>"So does yours."</p><p>Teala could feel her cheeks heating up. The two made direct eye contact and their faces felt as though they were burning. </p><p><em>Is this how Mystic feels staring into Ivy's eyes? </em>Teala wondered.</p><p><em>Gosh, her eyes are beautiful, </em>Roi thought.</p><p><em>I could stare into them for hours, </em>they both sighed internally.</p><p>But their moment was cut short by who else but the Beauty Gurus?</p><p>"Oh my God!" Manny squealed as they came back with Plant Boi and C.P.<br/>"We saw it."</p><p>"I knew it," Nikita smirked.<br/>"You two are lovebirds after all."</p><p>"What?!" Teala gasped.<br/>"No!"</p><p>"You can give up the façade, kid," Candy Pop sighed.<br/>"These three saw it happen."</p><p>Teala, desperate to keep Nikita in the dark despite the plausible futility, stepped away from Roi, beads of sweat dripping down both of their faces. </p><p>"Bitches, you don't gotta hide it from us," Bretman scoffed.<br/>"We been knew."</p><p>"I'm serious," Teala insisted.<br/>"Roi and I are just friends."</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Nikita rolled her eyes.<br/>"Really good and close friends."</p><p>"Don't get it twisted!" she stammered.</p><p>"Oh c'mon," Manny giggled.<br/>"I think it's cute."</p><p>"Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but can we please move along?" Envy replied nervously.<br/>"I'd really like to bring as much of our group back to life as possible."</p><p>"Soon as Teala admits her crush on Roi," Nikita insisted.</p><p>"She doesn't have to if she doesn't want--" Envy began.</p><p>"Hey. Chill."</p><p>"But--"</p><p>"I said, chill."</p><p>"......."</p><p>Roi and Teala powerwalked up ahead to Yana, Stella, Orpheus, and Ines.</p><p>"Who are we even gonna bring back?" Ines asked.</p><p>"I don't know," Yana squeaked.<br/>"I don't know any of these people. Why should it matter?"</p><p>"Because if we pick the wrong ones, we're fucked," Orpheus said.</p><p>"Okay, just stop already," Briar sighed.<br/>"Silvia and I are getting a headache just from hearing this."</p><p>All of a sudden, Stella caught an OTP out of the corner of her eye. She tried to remain calm but this was a lot to take in.</p><p>"Okay, we get it Stella," Haven chuckled.<br/>"You ship Roila hardcore."</p><p>"Tell us something we don't know," Ines rolled her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Thwack!</em>
</p><p>"Ah!"</p><p>The sound of a branch whip and Envy crying out were heard once again. Concerned Yana and Nina went over to see if he was okay.</p><p>"Mr. Plantman?" Nina asked.</p><p>"I'm fine," he sighed.<br/>"I'm fine."</p><p>Hearing this Nina blushed and smiled.</p><p>"That's....that's good to hear."</p><p>
  <em>"Oh hell no!"</em>
</p><p>Nikita's voice echoed throughout the woods, probably scaring away every woodland critter within a five-mile radius and she dashed up to Nina faster than lightning.</p><p>"Back off, bitch! He's taken."</p><p>"....."</p><p>Once again, Envy was stunned speechless for a brief moment.</p><p>"She just wanted to know if I was okay," he said confused.<br/>"I don't get--"</p><p>"Look under the subtext. You're as clueless as Roi and Teala are trying to be. She's in love with you."</p><p>"No, I'm not!" Nina trembled.<br/>"You're twisting what I say."</p><p>"Hey!" Montana called out.<br/>"Get your asses up here! You're lagging behind."</p><p>All of a sudden, Yana spied someone out of the corner of her eye. There was a rustling in the bushes.</p><p>"Hello?" she gulped.<br/>"Who's there?"</p><p>Hearing this Montana being the brave one trekked over to it and brushed it aside.</p><p>"Hey! Don't you dare run!" she snapped.</p><p>Hearing this, the rest of the group rushed over to find a boy in a black track suit thing with light-brown spiky hair. The weirdest thing, however, was that....he didn't look 3D.</p><p>"Uhh," he gulped.<br/>"I can explain."</p><p>"Bitch, you better," Bretman snapped.</p><p>"What on earth?" </p><p>Cecelia ran over to the bush and the boy gasped.</p><p>"Get away from her!"</p><p>He pointed at Cecelia with a trembling finger.</p><p>"She's dangerous."</p><p>"No, she's on our side!" Teala said.</p><p>The boy narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Yeah, I don't think so, not according to the Future Foundation."</p><p>In the back, Candy Pop was tense and Envy was pale.</p><p>"Oh God," the latter panicked.<br/>"Why?"</p><p>"The what?" Ines asked.</p><p>The boy stood up.</p><p>"The Future Foundation. I work for them."</p><p>All of a sudden, he gasped.</p><p>"Wait. Where's Vero? Nightcrawler? Sal?!"</p><p>"Alright," Destorm said in a cold voice.<br/>"You have 30 seconds to explain what's going on."</p><p>The boy was sweating.</p><p>"Well, you see, I'm on a lot of missions, but I just got word that Junko Enoshima is planning to come here to take one of you for the Izuru Kamukura Project 2.0."</p><p>Hearing this Cecelia gulped.</p><p>"Her?"</p><p>The boy glared daggers.</p><p>"Don't act like you don't know! You two worked together."</p><p>"That was ages ago."</p><p>The boy seemed to come to a realization.</p><p>"Wait a second! Cecelia Annesley.....you should be imprisoned! Why are you out here?"</p><p>"Why do you think? I had outside help."</p><p>"I suppose this 'outside help' killed your twin sister?"</p><p>Cecelia sighed.</p><p>"Oh, so you care about her, but not I?"</p><p>"She's not a sadistic serial hypnotist like you!"</p><p>The red head rolled her eyes.</p><p>"If you <em>must </em>know, she's not dead. She is very much alive. <em>I'm......</em>what was it you called me? The estranged criminal twin? If anyone was going to die in the Tragedy, it would've been me. She betrayed me, after all."</p><p>"Wait, wait, hang on," Roi exclaimed.<br/>"I think before we go any further, we're gonna need a name."</p><p><em>Don't do it,</em> Envy begged internally.</p><p>But the boy knew he had no other choice.</p><p>"My name...." he began.<br/>"Is Makoto Naegi."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Tree of Despair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some Eli bonding and despair.<br/>(CW: Guns, syringe usage, death)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Meanwhile back at the tree group, another pair led the team in trying to discover the secret of the tree. By then, Jaiden and Rene had somehow managed to find their way back, out of being Stepford Smilers and back to being.....well, human.</p><p>"Maybe there's some sort of trigger?" Oli wondered as he searched the trunk with Eva.<br/>"Like a button or a switch?"</p><p>"Maybe it's voice-activated," she suggested knocking on the trunk.<br/>"It's weird though. Feels like any normal tree trunk to me."</p><p>"Yeah well, that's probably what they want you to think, whoever <em>they </em>are."</p><p>He felt around where they'd seen the tree open up.</p><p>"No sign of a door either," he pondered.</p><p>"Whoever's operating this thing really wants to keep this a secret. But why?"</p><p>The Big Game Hunter shrugged.</p><p>"Your guess is as good as mine."</p><p class="">All of a sudden, they felt their hands overlap and tough. His were strong, but in a sensitive way. Hers were that of a scholar. They made eye contact and immediately pulled back.</p><p class="">"Oh, you must've been thinking the same thing," Eva tried to brush it off.</p><p class="">"Oh yeah," Oli nodded quickly.<br/>"100%."</p><p class="">He had a clueless look on his face, though.</p><p class="">"Remind me what we were thinking?"</p><p>Eva chuckled.</p><p>"You're a goof, you know that?"</p><p>His cheeks flushed a slight scarlet. </p><p>"You're like Nancy Drew."</p><p>"Oh, why thank you. You wanna be one of the Hardy Boys?"</p><p>"Maybe he could be Ned Nickerson," Lyra whispered.</p><p>Hearing this the duo's eyes widened.</p><p>"Isn't....isn't Ned her boyfriend?" </p><p>"Duh."</p><p>That was when they remembered.</p><p>"Right, Eli shipper," they said in sync before gasping.<br/>"Did we just--? Hey! Why are you copying me? I'm not copying you. You're copying me! Okay, stop it. You first. No, you first!"</p><p>"Just kiss already," Lyra squealed under her breath. </p><p>The two felt a little awkward but tried to focus on searching the trunk. </p><p>"I mean, it's just so----" Oli began.</p><p>"Crazy, right?"</p><p>"100%."</p><p>They kept searching for a while before it hit them. </p><p>"Did I just finish your----?" Eva said.</p><p>"Sandwich?" </p><p>"Not what---"</p><p>"You were gonna say, I know," Oli chuckled.<br/>"I was just---"</p><p>"Making a joke?" </p><p>"Yeah. You know, we should probably focus on---"</p><p>"Searching the tree trunk some more."</p><p>"This is freaky," they both said in unison.</p><p>"Okay, so can we just uncover this secret already?" Andrea Brooks asked.<br/>"I'd like to get the rest of us back together."</p><p>The season 1 survivalist duo kept searching the trunk. Meanwhile Glozell and the others who Teala had asked to stay behind were growing impatient.</p><p>"Okay, hang on," Glozell sighed.<br/>"Lemme give it a go."</p><p>She stepped up to the tree as close as possible. That was when, out of nowhere, it seemed to disappear. Glozell began to lose her balance.</p><p>"Oh Lord Jesus, give me balance!" she exclaimed.</p><p>Justine felt a compulsion to help her out as did Genevieve. The two grabbed on and tried to pull her out. </p><p>"Wait a second...." Eva gulped as she stumbled closer to the door.<br/>"What's going on? I'm feeling this....pull."</p><p>"It's not just me?" Justine exclaimed.</p><p>"Nor I, it would seem," Genevieve panicked.</p><p>In a moment of fright, Oli grabbed onto Eva. (Lyra had to mentally keep herself from squealing) But it seemed the compulsion and pull was getting stronger and stronger, and before too long, Glozell, Justine, and Genevieve toppled downward. But this time, it didn't close back up.</p><p>"I think Teala was right!" Bernhard exclaimed.</p><p>"Oh, you think?" Oli said as he was pulled forward.</p><p>"Should I help?" Sierra asked nervously.</p><p>"Honey, I don't think you're that strong," Tyler laughed nervously.</p><p>But then <em>he </em>felt a pull.</p><p>"Okay, this is.....what is going on with my body?"</p><p>Meanwhile, down on the hill, Delta was trying to make her way up the hill to help, much to dismay of Lauren, Calliope, Alex, Joey, and Alison.</p><p>"Girl, you shouldn't be fighting against us," Joey panted.<br/>"You're outnumbered."</p><p>"They're in trouble!" she argued.</p><p>"And <em>your</em> ankle's broken!" Lauren argued.<br/>"I thought you said that you knew first aid."</p><p>"I do, but I need to help my friends!"</p><p>"Delta, please stop struggling," Calliope said before realizing that Delta wasn't going to stop.</p><p>Sighing, Calliope readied herself.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, child. This is for your own good."</p><p>At that moment, she raised her hands and pointed them at Delta. She tried to focus over the protests. Finally before long, Delta fell still and limped to the ground, much to the shock of all but Alison.</p><p>"What the heck was that?!?" Alex exclaimed.</p><p>"It's difficult to explain," Calliope panted.<br/>"Think of it.....as sort of mind hacking, I suppose."</p><p>"That's exactly what it is," Joey said.<br/>"I can't put another name to it."</p><p>All of a sudden, they heard several screams and an electric shock. Oli cried out as he was flung back and onto the ground.</p><p>"Oli!" Sierra exclaimed as she ran over to him.</p><p>Lauren, Joey, and Alex, knowing that Delta was now pacified, ran over to their side.</p><p>"What happened?" Lauren asked.</p><p>"He tried to go through the tree trunk," Sierra said.<br/>"But he got shocked or something.</p><p>Joey shuddered as the memories flooded back to him.</p><p>"And now...."</p><p>Sierra felt around his body.</p><p>
  <em>Please don't be.......</em>
</p><p>Then she felt it.</p><p>"Oh thank God, he's not dead!"</p><p>"Okay, but now that gives us more questions than answers," Lauren exclaimed.<br/>"Why did he get shocked?"</p><p>"Bernhard was right, I think," Andrea B concluded.<br/>"Teala was onto something."</p><p>"So whoever's down there can sing?" Alex asked.</p><p>"Seems that way," Shiloh exclaimed.</p><p>"Okay, then what's our next move?" Harlow asked.</p><p><em>"Your next move," </em>a new voice said as a foreign sound was heard.<br/><em>"Is to hand that little friend of yours over to me, to us."</em></p><p>All of a sudden, a green portal appeared and out stepped a girl with dark hair and a girl with pink pigtails. Calliope and Alison seemed to recognize them almost instantly.</p><p>"Junko," Alison growled.</p><p>The pig-tailed girl turned.</p><p>"Oh hi, Ali," she smirked.<br/>"Long time, no see. Now why don't you hand that friend of yours over to us?"</p><p>"You won't get away with this, Junko! Hope always takes out despair!" </p><p>Rene rushed down the hill, Jaiden following, but the black-haired girl pulled out a gun. There was a set of bangs and two cries of pain. The two girls fell to the ground, grasping their legs.</p><p>"Rene," Junko explained.<br/>"Rene, Rene, Rene. You and I have some unfinished business, don't we? Mukuro?"</p><p>At that moment, the girl pulled out a syringe and plunged it into Rene's neck. The girl fell unconscious and Mukuro pointed the gun around at the others. </p><p>"You bitches are gonna pay for this!" Parris called out as they ran down the hill.</p><p>"No, don't--!" Alison began.</p><p>But it was too late. Mukuro aimed the gun and a bullet went right through Parris's head. Junko just smirked.</p><p>"I wouldn't try anything if I were you," she said.<br/>"My sister's the Ultimate Soldier and she could put a bullet right through your skull in a single shot."</p><p>"Y-you don't say," Tristen gulped, shaking.</p><p>By this time, due to the noise, Delta had begun to wake up. To her horror, Parris's body had rolled down right in front of her, and the bullet wound was clear as day.</p><p>"No!" she shrieked as tears welled up.<br/>"Parris!"</p><p>"Mukuro, take care of the other girl. We don't need anymore lost causes."</p><p>
  <em>This is it. I'm a goner.</em>
</p><p>Delta braced herself for the bang and the impact, but then she heard</p><p>"Well, I guess I had a good run. Peace out, homies."</p><p>"Jaiden, no!" Delta cried out.</p><p>
  <b> <em>BANG!</em> </b>
</p><p>Her body collapsed to the ground, and Delta felt her asthma acting up due to the anxiety. That was when Mukuro shot a round of bullets causing everyone to scatter and take cover. Delta shut her eyes and waited.</p><p>And then....silence.</p><p>Everyone peeked back up.</p><p>"Alright, who's still alive?" Joey called out after a few moments.</p><p>"We don't really have time to do a roll call," Trigorien said, still shaken from seeing two dead bodies.<br/>"I'm just gonna assume we're all still here."</p><p>"Actually......we know one person's gone," Alison gulped.</p><p>The others looked confused, but it was Alex who made it clear as he pointed over by the two corpses as well as the two helpers.</p><p>"Oh my God! They took Delta!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. File-pocalypse Soon?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group learns that there's much, much more at stake.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>(Mystic's POV)</strong> </span>
</p><p>I was beginning to lose my sanity.</p><p>It'd probably been about 2 hours since Emmy and those Robed Fucks had left, and still no one had reappeared. Sure there were those big-ass stairs, but that took maybe 20 minutes to climb on foot. Also how I didn't develop a fear of heights because of this is beyond me, even to this day. </p><p>I could tell that Alice was especially impatient to get up and get going. Throughout the past two hours, no matter what we found, nothing seemed to interest her. Even talking about Plant Boi held no interest to her. It was at that point I was beginning to wonder: was Alice really right about this whole thing? Was there more to this than meets the eye?</p><p>Knowing my luck, she probably was right, and I was a dumb-ass bitch as usual. </p><p>"Oh my God!" Andrea groaned.<br/>"It's been for-fucking-ever. They could've at least left some alcohol or something."</p><p>"I mean, most of us are old enough to drink," I shrugged.</p><p>Alice didn't say anything. </p><p>"Should we go check on them?" Ro asked.</p><p>"There is no way in hell that I'm going down those stairs," Gabbie objected.<br/>"That was like a twenty minute walk up."</p><p>"I'm sure they'll be back," Ivy shrugged.<br/>"They can't stay there forever. They seemed too worried about Mystic te just leave 'er up 'ere."</p><p>"That's true," Ro nodded.</p><p>But finally-<em>finally</em>-we heard footsteps and the sounds of voices. Most of them were familiar, but two of them were new....ish. And then the Robed Fucks peeked out from the stairs with eight more people.</p><p>"Who the hell are you?" a girl in black asked. </p><p>While the others were in the robes that Ivy and the others were wearing, she and the other new guy seemed to have refused to wear them to the point where it tired the Robed Fucks. And based on the guy's seemingly-wild attitude and green hair, that was probably likely. </p><p>"They wouldn't comply with uniform regulations, dear goddess."</p><p>I shrugged.</p><p>"I don't really care."</p><p>"But goddess---"</p><p>"Did I fucking stutter?"</p><p>Emmy seemed astonished at this, but at this point, I didn't care. It'd been two whole hours since she left me and my friends. I deserved a little respect.</p><p>"Is there more for me to see?" I asked. </p><p>"Of course, dear Celeste," she smiled.</p><p>"Celeste?!" </p><p>It came from Colleen.</p><p>"Lady, I think you're a little delusional. Her name's Mystic."</p><p>"Not at all. That's merely her earth name. Celeste is her divine name, her true name."</p><p>"Are you ever going to let us go?" Ro asked.</p><p>Emmy gave this some thought.</p><p>"I mean, I suppose we have no choice. Eventually we must."</p><p>Something about the way she said that gave me a pain in my stomach, an ache. A gut feeling that.....there was more to this story. And it seemed that someone else was thinking the exact same thing.</p><p>While Emmy was going on about something, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Alice was sneaking out of her spot. I wasn't too surprised. She'd seemed too impatient sitting on this couch. She gestured to Ivy to help her. I was tempted to go too, but I know that would attract attention, so I just pretended to turn a blind eye and focus on Emmy as Alice slid down on Ivy's vine down to....who knows how far the ground is....before Ivy jumped down after her.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">(Alice's POV)</span> </strong>
</p><p>I couldn't take it anymore.</p><p>Something inside of me told something was wrong,</p><p>but what?</p><p>I had to know.</p><p>So while Emmy was gushing over Mystic,</p><p>I gestured to Ivy.</p><p>She walked over,</p><p>tied a vine around my waist.</p><p>Falling</p><p>Until</p><p>
  <strong> <em>CRACK!</em> </strong>
</p><p>Her cutlass made a crack in the crystal.</p><p>We felt our way down that high wall.</p><p>Finally on the ground after who knows how long.</p><p>Shorter than taking the stairs, that's for sure.</p><p>Now to find out what was <em>really </em>going on.</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>*</p><p>It was intimidating.</p><p>The place was huge.</p><p>No time for sight-seeing.</p><p>We needed to know.</p><p>So</p><p>Many</p><p>Turns</p><p>And</p><p>Twists.</p><p>Finally</p><p>"An Archive room..."</p><p>Ivy didn't even hesitate.</p><p>She kicked right through the door.</p><p>I panicked.</p><p>"What if someone hears us?"</p><p>Shrug.</p><p>"They're focused on Love over in there. I fink we'll be fine."</p><p>
  <em>Please don't jinx it.</em>
</p><p>Searching.</p><p>So.</p><p>Many.</p><p>Files.</p><p>"Ah!"</p><p>From Ivy.</p><p>"A file."</p><p>She set it down on a table.</p><p>I spared no expense taking a look.</p><p>"Seems normal to me."</p><p>"Don't jinx it, Alice."</p><p>But I had.</p><p>The next thing I saw proved that</p><p>
  <em>"The Cult of the Golden Bird, in order to</em>
</p><p>
  <em>avoid going insane</em>
</p><p>
  <em>must find their songbird.</em>
</p><p><em>They must sing them to 'death', </em>(I wasn't sure what that meant yet)</p><p>
  <em>only for them to be reborn.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Those of the cult, in exchange for genetic immortality,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>carry great suffering.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If too much befalls them,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>destruction falls in the world's wake, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>and woe be to those who stand in their path in that time."</em>
</p><p>I knew it.</p><p>And so did Ivy.</p><p>And it emerged from us both in unison.</p><p>"They're never letting her go."</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>(Mystic's POV)</strong> </span>
</p><p>Emmy was going on for ages about how amazing it was here, which she wasn't wrong about, and how amazing I was, which she was wrong about, but I was starting to get a headache. I needed to get away from her and find Alice and Ivy.  But how was I supposed to do that when she and these Robed Fucks wouldn't let me out of their damn sight?</p><p>"Psst!"</p><p>I looked over to the edge of the crystal and when Emmy had her back turned, I hurried towards it. </p><p>
  <b> <em>WHIP!</em> </b>
</p><p>A vine wrapped around my waist and pulled, seemingly a cue to jump. So I did.</p><p>It felt invigorating, especially when Ivy was the one keeping me safe.  It also took much less time getting down that way than it did going up the stairs. It also felt like a heist. And lucky for me, Ivy was using her cutlass as a sort of pick into the crystal.</p><p>Soon we got to the ground. </p><p>"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, panting.</p><p>"Tryin' te find out what this cult's got goin' on," Ivy said.</p><p>"What's there to worry about?" I scoffed.</p><p>"This," Alice said somberly.</p><p>She showed me a page of the file and my eyes went wide.</p><p>"Great, they intend to keep me here forever," I huffed.<br/>"What else is new?"</p><p>"What's new is that they'll likely go crazy if they don't keep you," Alice gulped. </p><p>That didn't sound great....Crazy?</p><p>"H--how crazy?"</p><p>"'Unleashing the apocalypse and destroying all in their wake' levels of crazy."</p><p>A burning sensation invaded my stomach. My heart began to pound like mad. This couldn't actually....no, there was no way they----surely not.......I shook my head.</p><p>"N-no," I chuckled nervously.<br/>"That-that's not--that can't be---you're not---"</p><p>"See for yourself."</p><p>The more I read them, the more real the words became, and the less I wanted to believe them. I could feel my whole world crashing down again, no apocalypse necessary. I tried to steady myself. It wasn't just me who was in danger. My friends were as well, and potentially the entire world.</p><p>"We have to come up with a game plan," I panted, my face blanching.<br/><br/><em>"Celeste?!?"</em></p><p>Emmy sounded like she was in a panic. Far up above, I could hear the Robed Fucks heading down the stairs with Emmy ordering them around. The footsteps soon got closer to the bottom. Now was our chance.</p><p>"Ivy, we need to get back up to the others and warn them. We'll come up with a game plan once everyone's in the know."</p><p>She nodded and a vine whipped around each of us. Cutlass picking into the crystal wall, Ivy began to climb up again as Alice held onto the file by her chest, her arms trembling as she struggled to keep it from falling, while my stomach churned. I began thinking about how damning this was. Our game plan needed to be flawless. There had to be a way to keep both parties happy, right? There was no way it could end only one way or the other, right? Was I simply deluding myself? Was I just trying to find excuses to have hope? Regardless, we couldn't afford to mess up <em>anything. </em>Too much was at stake once again, and if anything went wrong, it could mean the loss of my freedom or the destruction of the world. I mean, I already had the threat of a chaotic apocalypse looming over my head with the Cursed God trying to marry me. This was another scoop of "panic mode and anxiety attack"-flavored ice cream on the "holy fuck, I'm in deep shit" sundae. </p><p>The fear of losing my freedom and/or damning the world to its complete and total destruction overtook me on a deeper level than I had anticipated. I was so tempted to grapple onto Ivy for safety and a sense of security, but I didn't want her to fall either. I felt as though I was going to be sick and I prayed to God we would make it up there soon. </p><p>But just as we were reaching the top, my panic overtook me. It seemed as though the room was spinning.</p><p>
  <em>"Mystic?!"</em>
</p><p>Ro was calling out to me, but her voice was growing fainter and fainter. I couldn't hold on much longer, and in a survival instinct to keep my sanity intact, my world fell into darkness and silence once again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Never Remember, Always Forget.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>(CW: Physical violence, gaslighting, manifestation of my dark self, return of old "friends," suicide attempt mention, Korekiyo Shinguji)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"Get up."</em>
</p><p>I heard my breath echo against.....something.....as a voice calls out my name.</p><p>
  <em>"Get up!"</em>
</p><p>Finally I opened my eyes.</p><p>"Could've been a little nicer about that, Togami."</p><p>He sneered.</p><p>"I don't particularly care about that sort of thing. I focus on truth."</p><p>I rolled my eyes.</p><p>"So what's new?"</p><p>"Ne-he-he!"</p><p>Great. Kokichi.....</p><p>"Well, Plant Boi's trying to take away all you've built up."</p><p>My heart dropped. </p><p>
  <em>Are you already trying to make me crumble?</em>
</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>Kokichi smirked.</p><p>"Yup. See for yourself...."</p><p>He opened a portal. There were Alice and Plant Boi in some sort of utopia. Alice started off the conversation.</p><p>
  <em>“Are you going to try to do something to halt all this?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“W-what?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I know you”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah-?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If the opportunity presents itself-“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“....Yeah?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’ll take it-“</em>
</p><p>I could see it in his eyes. And my blood was boiling.</p><p>
  <em>“-You’re not supposed to do that!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“...................................................”</em>
</p><p><em>“You </em>can’t<em> do that-“</em></p><p>
  <em>“I mean, I could. I’d just get in trouble."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, you'd get into <strong>much </strong>more than trouble.....</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s not yours to end-“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What if it never ends?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’d be trapped in this cycle forever...and so would everyone else”.</em>
</p><p><em>“But...aren’t we here because we</em> all<em> want to be here?”</em></p><p><em>“Not everyone.......</em> <em>Half of these people didn’t even know what they were getting into...and the fact that another half of them have accepted they were brought in to die? </em> <em>It’s sick."</em></p><p>
  <em>“There’s not much you can do about acceptance. . .”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Maybe there is”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But it’d be wrong...”</em>
</p><p><em>“It’s only wrong because they </em>said<em> it was...”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Some people need to be the hero once in their life...”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That doesn’t mean they get to play with others’ lives......Fiction is becoming real. And death...there’s no going back......not unless you’re a lucky few”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well...yeah, but we’re getting Tokens-“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We are. . . . . . .”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Isn’t that enough?”</em>
</p><p>He closed it.</p><p>"You still think he should be there?"</p><p>I grabbed Kokichi by the collar, my eyes flaring.</p><p>"Say sike right now!" I snapped.</p><p>"Geez, calm down," he said so nonchalantly.<br/>"I was only showing you what happened."</p><p>I was infuriated. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing.</p><p>"Open a portal to where they are now," I demanded.</p><p>He smirked and did so. I peeked out, they were eating food and having a good time. My blood was practically bubbling. It wasn't fair! He and Alice were able to escape this and have happiness, and yet here he was trying to ruin <em>mine. </em>I practically ran through the portal.</p><p>Alice dropped whatever she was holding and Envy seemed startled as well.</p><p>"You!" I snapped, my eyes burning.</p><p>I ran over and pushed him.</p><p>"Mystic!" Alice gasped.</p><p>"H-how did you--?" he began as he tried to regain his balance.</p><p>I didn't even let him finish.</p><p>"How <em>dare </em>you try to end my happiness!"</p><p>He seemed so confused.</p><p>"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! I know that you wanna end all of this."</p><p>"H-how--?"</p><p>I practically shrieked in frustration.</p><p>"Kokichi showed me."</p><p>"Are you really gonna trust him?" he began seemingly trying to convince me otherwise.<br/>"I don't think you heard it right."</p><p>Also known as "gaslighting." </p><p>Something I don't take well to. </p><p>I gave him a good slap.</p><p>"What was that for?!" he and Alice said.</p><p>"You sound exactly like her!"</p><p>I could tell he was confused about who she was.</p><p>"That doesn't mean you can hurt him," Alice said.</p><p>"Is that really worse than him trying to end something that's not even his to end?"</p><p>Alice pursed her lips.</p><p>"I tried to tell him that."</p><p>"People's lives are at stake," he pointed out.</p><p>I reeled on him.</p><p>"You think I don't <em>know </em>that? You think I <em>like </em>that they are?! You don't think I'm still kicking myself over the fact that I got them all into this mess to begin with!?"</p><p>"Then why is this still going on?"</p><p>"BECAUSE I WANT TO GET AWAY FROM MY REAL LIFE!"</p><p>My shriek caused him to stumble. All of the hurt came rushing back to me and I clenched my fists, trying to keep the tears from pouring out.</p><p>"You think I just do this for shits and giggles? You think I do this just for fun? Did you know that I've been an outcast since elementary school? Did you know that all throughout elementary school, I was bullied and ostracized for being autistic? For being myself? Did you know that so much of my life has been spent teaching me how to be 'socially acceptable' to the point where now I think every single social mistake I'm related to is my fault? Did you know that I went through emotional abuse in high school from two people I thought were my <em>best friends</em>? Did you know that I've attempted suicide before? Did you know any of this about my life or even ask me about why before you were trying to end this. No. Because you don't care about me! Even though you called me your love back at the hotel!"</p><p>His eyes looked shocked, guilty, and betrayed all at once.</p><p>"You said we'd never bring that up!"</p><p>Alice looked betrayed herself.</p><p>"Envy.....? Did you.....?"</p><p>"It was a slip."</p><p>"A Freudian slip?"</p><p>"N-no...."</p><p>I began to feel guilt settle in my stomach. The floodgates were beginning to break.</p><p>"And that's another reason....." I gulped.<br/>"All I do is hurt everyone I care about."</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"You're goddamn right you do."</em> </strong>
</p><p>....Fuck.</p><p>I whirled around to see her forming along with two other clouds.</p><p>"D-Dystic...." I squeaked as she stepped out with two other shadows.</p><p>"What?" Envy and Alice asked.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"You thought I wouldn't come back? You thought you could just leave me in that short-lived Halloween kingdom? Oh honey, I've never left you. I've just been plotting."</strong> </em>
</p><p>"L-leave her alone," Envy tried to intervene.</p><p>Dystic whirled on him.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Oh? I thought you wanted to stop her happiness?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>"Y-you've got it all wrong...."</p><p><em> <strong>"I thought you didn't <span class="u">care</span></strong> </em> <em> <strong> about her, even to the point where you've told Alice about the Queen of Fiction and left Mystic in the dust."</strong> </em></p><p>"I didn't even have a chance to--"</p><p>That got my blood bubbling, but I'd have to talk to him about that later. </p><p>
  <em> <strong>"You think you can play White Knight? You think you can just play the martyr?"</strong> </em>
</p><p>She chuckled as she grabbed a hold of Alice.</p><p>"Let her go!" I snapped, running to stop her.</p><p>With a simple flick of her wrist, I flew back and hit the ground. Envy seemed torn between us.</p><p>Meanwhile Dystic was having the time of her fucking life. She waved her hand around Alice's head, chuckling.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"You can't even get your damsel-in-distress to remember your confession, let alone save her."</strong> </em>
</p><p>Alice's eyes were turning dark and glazed over. </p><p>And that was when I knew......we were royally fucked.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Alice's POV:</strong> </span>
</p><p>Wait.</p><p>What?</p><p>What was going on?</p><p>All I could see was smoky darkness. It was....hypnotic.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"You'll forget his confession again."</strong> </em>
</p><p>But I had to fight it.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"You'll forget it again, and again, and again. Every single time he tells you, it'll fade from your mind instantly."</strong> </em>
</p><p>"As if! I'm gonna stop you! You're not gonna hurt any of us ever again!"</p><p>She cackled.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"Oh dearie, you don't have a choice. You can't destroy me. I'm not <span class="u">your</span> battle to fight. And even the one whose battle it is to fight can never fully destroy me."</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wait....why does she sound like---?</em>
</p><p>"What's your endgame? Why are you trying to hurt Mystic?"</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"Trying? Oh dear....I'm far <span class="u">beyond</span> trying. As you've seen first-hand, I'm <span class="u">succeeding.</span> All of those times she's been running away, all of those suicide attempts, all of that distrust, that's all of the hurt I've used. All of her trauma is simply fuel for my fire."</strong> </em>
</p><p>"You....you monster...."</p><p>
  <em><strong>"Oh come now....I'm not</strong> <span class="u"><strong>all</strong></span><strong> bad. If she were to die, I could free that soul inside of her for good, you know? On top of it, I could finally bring her to my mistress, have her marry her instead, and not for the soul inside of her. She's had her eyes on her for a while now."</strong></em>
</p><p>"Who's this mistress of yours?"</p><p>She just cackled again.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"If I told you that, it'd ruin the surprise."</strong> </em>
</p><p>Something inside of her seemed to reconsider, though.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"However.....perhaps I <span class="u">could</span> get her to come to you and reveal herself.....but what good would that do? Where's the fun in that? Perhaps instead.....yes.....I'll make you her puppet."</strong> </em>
</p><p>Nope.</p><p>Nope.</p><p>Nope.</p><p>Nope.</p><p>SO MUCH NOPE.</p><p>"Envy will save me!"</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"Aww, you think I hadn't thought that through; how naive of you. He's paralyzed in his own fear. Nothing will be able to save you."</strong> </em>
</p><p>I felt myself slipping. I tried to hold on. Purple Boy....</p><p>Please come save me.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"Purple Boy? Oh, you mean....the one I killed just an hour ago."</strong> </em>
</p><p>"You....you didn't....you're lying!"</p><p>
  <em> <strong>"Am I? I'm part of your little friend Mystic, you know? Now remember the word......'token'.....when my mistress says it, you'll drop into a state of total suggestibility. One in which you'll only listen to her and whoever else she willingly gives the power to. One that only <span class="u">she</span> can bring you out of. You won't remember what I told you consciously."</strong> </em>
</p><p>No!</p><p>I couldn't......</p><p>Why....</p><p>I was slipping......</p><p>"E....Envy...."</p><p>And I forgot.....</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Mystic's POV:</strong> </span>
</p><p><span class="u"></span>Envy and I were paralyzed in fright. I turned to him.</p><p>"You see? I only bring trouble."</p><p>
  <em>"Of course you do...."</em>
</p><p>Two familiar girls, two voices in sync, stepped from the shadows. And when I saw them, my heart dropped.</p><p>"Fuck....not you two!"</p><p>
  <em>"You should've just let us control you. We did so much for you after all."</em>
</p><p>"You took advantage of my diagnoses and my past, you pricks!"</p><p>
  <em>"We kept you afloat and you just leeched off of us."</em>
</p><p>"Suck a dick, bitches!" </p><p>I flipped them off.</p><p>Then there was a cloud of darkness. </p><p>And silence.</p><p>All of a sudden, I heard a gasp. I turned to see Alice, her eyes were back to normal.</p><p>"What happened?" she panted.</p><p>"Dystic's what happened."</p><p>"Who?"</p><p>"My dark self. She's determined to push me to suicide. This AU's my outlet, my way to fight demons like her. And...."</p><p>I couldn't believe I was actually saying this.</p><p>"She might be a bigger danger to us than the Cursed God. As long as she's still out of control.....she'll do what she can to keep this going."</p><p>"Oh, that's great to hear," Envy huffed.</p><p>"I didn't <em>ask </em>for her to appear!"</p><p>"I know, I know.....and I'm sorry about not asking--"</p><p>"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my shit like that. You....you've got good intentions....I keep forgetting that."</p><p>
  <em>"Oh wow....what a show."</em>
</p><p>I turned my head to see Ouma through the portal. He left it open?</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, are you gonna come back in or what?"</em>
</p><p>"Oh hey," I said to Envy and Alice.<br/>"I don't know if you're acquainted with the Ultimate Lil Shithead."</p><p>"I've heard of him," Envy admitted.<br/>"Never thought I'd actually meet him."</p><p>"C'mon, we should probably get inside so you can meet the others."</p><p>I brought them through the portal.</p><p>"So I see Naegi's gotten himself into trouble again...."</p><p>Kyoko looked both bored and disappointed.</p><p>"And you have as well."</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>"An apocalypse sounds horrible," Himiko added.<br/>"I don't know how much of my mana it would take to stop it."</p><p>"But there is beauty in it," a new voice exclaimed.</p><p>"Oh fuck...." I sighed.</p><p>Korekiyo Shinguji.....</p><p>"Kehehehe! There's beauty in both sides to this matter, but the first one sounds amazing. You, a force of beauty and hope, one who relieves them of their suffering. And they treat you like a divine being from the heavens. How could you not be flattered?"</p><p>"Because I'd have to stay with them forever to keep humanity from being destroyed."</p><p>"Certainly sacrifices must be made, but nonetheless, you'd be living a life of beauty! One that humanity itself only wishes to achieve! Mystic, you must consider staying. Humanity depends on you living this life of absolute beauty."</p><p>
  <em>You sound <strong>waaaaaay</strong> too excited about this.</em>
</p><p>"She doesn't have to consider it just because of 'beauty,'" Envy backed up.</p><p>"No, but I do have to consider it, because if I don't pick a good option, humanity's at risk."</p><p>"You probably should've passed out earlier and come to me for advice," Togami hmphed.</p><p>I rolled my eyes.</p><p>"This was the earliest I could pass out. But we're past that. Now we need to come up with a game plan."</p><p>"Just a second," Kirigiri interrupted.<br/>"You're rushing into this too quickly. If this isn't planned out carefully, you could set off armageddon unintentionally. What you need is a go-between."</p><p>"How are you gonna get one?"</p><p>"Simple. The Future Foundation and I could discuss this and pass it along to a helper. If Alison or Calliope could get in here, you'd have someone in the agency to deliver information. That way you can be more careful about this game plan."</p><p>That sounded pretty reasonable.</p><p>"But are you able to get someone down there?"</p><p>Kyoko nodded.</p><p>"Alison and Calliope are reliable and resourceful; they'd certainly be able to figure out the system of how the tree works."</p><p>I nodded as it began to darken.</p><p>"Anyway, you two should probably go back through the portal," she continued.<br/>"Mystic's waking up."</p><p>I waved goodbye to them as they stepped back through.</p><p><em>"Let's hope you conk out again soon!"</em> Kokichi said as the world faded to black.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. A Busted Ankle and a Nurse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let's find out what's happened to Delta, shall we?<br/>(CW: Shooting mention)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hitting against a hard and cold stone floor, Delta didn't have time to react before the portal closed, causing her heart to drop.</p><p>
  <em>Great. The one time I prove myself useful and I get snatched up by Miss Pinky Pigtails and Goth Soldier. That sounds pretty on brand.</em>
</p><p>"Alright, now this is what I call a successful Code Delta," Junko cheered behind her.</p><p>
  <em>That's not even a real thing.</em>
</p><p>At that moment, Junko walked over and kicked Delta in her broken ankle. Grimacing, Delta tried not to cry out in pain.</p><p>"Come on, lazy bones. Get up and get going!"</p><p>
  <em>More like broken bones.</em>
</p><p>She tried to get up, but the pain was too much and she collapsed back onto the floor.</p><p>"Wow. And here I thought you'd be useful."</p><p>That made her snap.</p><p>"For your information, pig-tails, my ankle's practically shattered!"</p><p>A small silence occurred as Junko took this in.</p><p>"Really? Are you sure? You could be lying. Lemme check."</p><p>She walked back over to the ankle and gave it a few good kicks. Delta tried not to cry out. </p><p>"Oh damn," Junko remarked after a bit.<br/>"Yeah, that's definitely busted."</p><p>
  <em>You don't say?!</em>
</p><p>"Aww! Look at her tremble!" Junko laughed condescendingly.<br/>"Maybe we should've just shot her in the head and put her out of her misery."</p><p>Hearing that made Delta's blood run cold.</p><p>
  <em>This is more preferable than that, I guess.</em>
</p><p>"Still she'll prove useful if she cooperates."</p><p>Hearing this Delta pursed her lips. It was a tempting offer. She was far past done with feeling useless. But what good would come from working with this.....pig-tailed psychopath?</p><p>"M-my beloved! You're back!"</p><p>A voice came trembling eagerly towards them. Delta saw a girl with unevenly-cut blackish hair in a nurse's outfit. She went to hug Junko, only to get rejected.</p><p>"Ew! Get off of me, pig!"</p><p>"Junko," Mukuro said.<br/>"I think Mikan could prove useful in Delta's predicament."</p><p>Junko seemed to be confused.</p><p>"What do you mean? Oh right. The....ankle thing."</p><p>"Ankle?" the girl Delta assumed was Mikan asked.</p><p>"It's nothing," Junko scoffed.<br/>"The brat just got her ankle busted. If you wanna take a look, go ahead."</p><p>Mikan knelt down and gently took a look, being as careful as she could about picking up the ankle. Despite her inspection being rather thorough, causing some slight pain, Delta could tell that she was trying her best.</p><p>"I-It seems that she suffered both a fibular fracture and a tibial fracture, but I would need to do an x-ray on the ankle just to be certain."</p><p>She turned to Delta.</p><p>"Do you know when this happened?"</p><p>Delta sighed.</p><p>"I....I fell down a hill."</p><p>Mikan gave a confused sound.</p><p>"That usually wouldn't warrant fractures, especially ones like these. Was it sprained beforehand?"</p><p>Hearing this, Delta nodded. </p><p>"I was running in the woods and I twisted it when I tripped on a rock."</p><p>"Oh dear...."</p><p>Junko scoffed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Whatever. We should probably take her to the boss. He may have his eyes on Mystic, but I've got my own agenda."</p><p>"Hey, Junko?" Mukuro asked.<br/>"Why <em>did </em>you pick Delta?"</p><p>Junko thought this over.</p><p>"Hmm.....well, she showed some pretty decent intelligence, which means pretty decent potential. But it was mostly because I knew no one would miss her and even if they did, by the time it happened, they'd be waaaaay too late."</p><p>This hurt her much more than the fractured ankle. Or at least almost as much. But....was it an insult? A compliment? Maybe both? And by the time <em>what </em>happened?</p><p>"Anyway, we should probably get her to the boss. I think we should let him know he's got one less problem to worry about. And who knows? Maybe by the time we're finished, she'll be an asset instead."</p><p>In a matter of moments, Junko pulled Delta up.</p><p>"Let's get going."</p><p>"Um....w-wait," Mikan trembled.<br/>"I-it wouldn't be good for her to put weight on the foot. I think we need two people supporting her."</p><p>Junko groaned and rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Fine. You and Mukuro take a side each. Now hurry up, slowpokes. I don't have all of eternity, you know."</p><p>"What about Rene?" Mukuro pointed to the other person.</p><p>Junko looked over.</p><p>"Her? No worries. I injected her with a despair controlling virus. When she wakes up, she'll be putty in my hands. Now let's get going."</p><p>Delta felt herself being supported as they took her away and she sighed, half in relief and half in reluctance. She didn't want to be in this position, but at this point, what other choice did she have?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Remembrance of the Fallen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>SPOILERS FOR DANGANRONPA AHEAD!!</p><p>The group learns that there's more than what they were hoping for. In fact it was something they were NOT hoping for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The group was in total silence, unsure of what to make of this boy. That is, until Ines spoke up.</p><p>"Okay? That's all?"</p><p>Makoto was confused. </p><p>"What else is there to say? This project could start the Tragedy all over again."</p><p>Envy pursed his lips. He'd heard too many stories about the Tragedy. If someone were to be placed in that project again.....who knows what kind of damage could occur. </p><p>"How do we know you're not just distracting us?"</p><p>"Because I fought her once before. She placed me and 15 others in a killing game......"</p><p>This made Envy sick to his stomach. Luckily he had never seen these killing games, but he knew each and every single victim, their talents, and their faces.</p><p>
  <em>Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop Idol......who went to the same middle school as Naegi, who was inspired to make others happy by becoming a pop star; stabbed in the stomach by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Leon Kuwata, Ultimate Baseball Star........who despised his Ultimate and had dreams of becoming a musician: executed by blunt force trauma through baseballs.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Chihiro Fujisaki, Ultimate Programmer........who made a promise to become his true self, to get stronger and become a man: suffered blunt force trauma inflicted by a dumbbell that was being held by.......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Mondo Oowada, Ultimate Biker Gang Leader..........a tough exterior, but a caring soul with remorse for his crime: executed by extreme G-Force and electricity in a metal bike cage.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Ultimate Moral Compass.......a law-abiding boy who took the blow of his new best friend severely: suffered a fatal hit to the head with a hammer inflicted by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hifumi Yamada, Ultimate Fanfic Creator.........a boy who appreciated the world of 2D, but was so easily manipulated, only to die in the very same manner by the one he agreed to help, betrayed by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler.............the Queen of Liars who was ashamed of her true self, who wished to stand out and be unique: executed by a fakeout of being burnt at the stake only to be run down by an oncoming firetruck. From elegant and nobility-worthy execution to a commoner's demise in mere seconds.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Sakura Oogami, Ultimate Martial Artist.........nicknamed "Ogre," her tough exterior intimidated most people, but in reality, her heart was full of compassion and concern for the other students: committed suicide by drinking poison after being outed as the mole by Monokuma.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Mukuro Ikusaba, Ultimate Soldier.......one of two halves of the Ultimate Despair sisters and the older twin: disguised as Junko and impaled by the Spears of Gungnir.</em>
</p><p>"After us, she invaded the Neo World Program we had set up."</p><p>This one too......Even though one of them said she would meet back with the group, she had still fallen victim to an execution.</p><p>
  <em>Byakuya Togami, Ultimate Affluent Progeny.......he promised to lead the group to safety and took precautions for them, only to stabbed from under the floorboards by......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Chef.........a perverted student who had his heart in the right place when it came to the concerns of other people's well-beings, who tried to stop another student from committing a murder, who wanted so badly to see his momma again: executed by being egged, breaded, and dropped into a volcano.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Mahiru Koizumi, Ultimate Photographer.........who followed in her mother's footsteps as a photographer, who never deleted a single picture she took, whose favorite pictures to take were ones of people smiling: suffered blunt force trauma from a bat, the deadly wound inflicted by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Peko Pekoyama, Ultimate Swordswoman.........who only thought of herself as a tool, whose only purpose in life, to her, was protecting a fellow classmate she'd known since birth, a classmate who just wanted her to be herself: executed by becoming a puppet for the final time and nearly killing the one she sought to protect before being stabbed in the back.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Ibuki Mioda, Ultimate Musician........who stuck to her value of individuality, even at the risk of losing fans due to not playing popular music, who had one of the most upbeat personalities, who could also be contemplative when the situation called for it: suffered death by inflicted asphyxiation before the crime was framed as a hanging......dying along with.......</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Traditional Dancer..........who came off as a spoiled, cruel, and whiny girl, but developed it as a defense mechanism due to her past, who never learned to do certain things by herself, who people played cruel and even life-threatening pranks on including putting nails in her sandals, had her throat slit by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Nurse..........who had been unloved since childhood, who'd been abused in multiple ways by multiple people, who was able to teach herself how to heal herself: executed by......no one is really sure. Either she was blasted into space or she had a lethal injection.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Team Manager.......who was optimistic and encouraging, who sacrificed himself to save his best friend from Monokuma, who came back as a robot: fell to his doom several floors below after being hung by his ankles by.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Gundham Tanaka, Ultimate Animal Breeder...........who had a tough façade and played into a fantasy where he was a hellbringer, who still had a soft side particularly for animals: executed by an animal stampede.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Nagito Komaeda, Ultimate Lucky Student........who believed in hope to such an extent that would irritate even the biggest optimist, who believed himself to be a lower being to the Ultimates: he set a convoluted death up for himself to find the traitor.......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer.......who had experienced an execution once before, whose love for video games often left her tired, who always tried to be kind to others: executed by being crushed to death by a giant TETRIS block.</em> </strong>
</p><p>"And then there was also the Future Foundation killing game," Makoto gulped.</p><p>Envy didn't know much about this one.</p><p>"But then recently, she set up another killing game. The 53rd."</p><p>Envy didn't want to hear anymore, but the faces, talents, and deaths kept appearing in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>Rantaro Amami, no one knew for certain what his Ultimate was........who seemed to know more than he let on, who no one could quite figure out: suffered blunt force trauma due to a shot put ball, apparently by....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Kaede Akamatsu, Ultimate Pianist.......a kind and devoted woman with a love of Debussy, who played piano to see the happiness in others, who was determined to stop the mastermind and end the killing game, even at the expense of her own life: executed by hanging and extreme G-forced as she was forced to play the piano for the final time.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Ryoma Hoshi, Ultimate Tennis Pro........who was convinced that he was better off dead, who considered himself a murderer, who pushed people away as he believed himself to be an emotional burden; suffered blunt force trauma before being drowned and placed in a piranha tank by......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Kirumi Tojo, Ultimate Maid.........a selfless and devoted woman who tried to run from her execution only to fall into it, by climbing a thorny vine and falling from a great height.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Angie Yonaga, Ultimate Artist........a young and skilled artist, one so religiously devoted to Atua that she didn't fear death; stabbed in the back of the neck by a katana.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tenko Chabashira, Ultimate Aikido Master.........who was polite to everyone, even those she considered degenerate males, who taught another participant that it was okay to express her emotions; lost her life in a seance due to a sickle in the back of her neck, both deaths were carried out by......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Korekiyo Shinguji, Ultimate Anthropologist.........who saw beauty even in the ugly sides of humanity; executed by being boiled alive and then having his spirit exorcised.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Miu Iruma, Ultimate Inventor........a lewd, but genius young woman; choked in a virtual world, sending a shock to her brain that killed her in real life. The killer was manipulated by another person, and the killer was......</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Gonta Gokuhara, Ultimate Entomologist.........a tall boy with an intimidating exterior, but a big and caring heart of gold, who couldn't remember that he even killed Miu due to a connection error, he was only trying to save the group from finding out the horrible truth about the world outside. Executed by being stung by robotic wasps, stabbed front to back by a giant robotic bug, and finally burnt. </em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Kokichi Ouma, Ultimate Supreme Leader...........who evolved from a trickster to a sadist, who had trust issues deep down, who wanted to create a murder that not even Monokuma could solve. He was killed by being crushed by a hydraulic press. For a time, no one could tell who was the killer between him and the true blackened.....</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Kaito Momota, Ultimate Astronaut........who had been slowly succumbing to a terminal illness, who always tried to encourage everyone to keep moving forward. Was supposed to be executed in a rocket dropping from outer space, but he succumbed to his illness while in the middle of achieving his dream of going to space, causing him to die in a place he always wanted to go to and resulting in a failed execution.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tsumugi Shirogane, Ultimate Cosplayer.....who seemed ordinary. Turned out to be the mastermind and Rantaro's true murderer. Was crushed by a boulder.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Keebo, Ultimate Robot......who wanted to spread hope. Destroyed the school when the game was ended, and in turn, destroyed himself via explosion.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>"So now she's back for more?" Nina gulped.</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>"I'm trying to make sure you're all safe. I'm on your side, I promise."</p><p>"How do we know that?" Ines puzzled.</p><p>"Because I can lead you right to the well of resurrection."</p><p>"Then where is it?"</p><p>Makoto got out from behind the bush.</p><p>"Follow me."</p><p>The group looked at each other and shrugged before following him. What other choice did they have? </p><hr/><p>After what felt like ages, Envy spotted something in the middle of nowhere. It looked a bit more like a fountain than a well, but he wasn't complaining.</p><p>"There," Makoto pointed at it.<br/>"This is one of many, but I think you should be careful before---"</p><p>The others ran over before he could finish. </p><p>"Who should we revive?" Roi asked happily.</p><p>"Someone who could help us, of course," Montana said.<br/>"Like Lele."</p><p>"We should bring Cyrille back!" Ines exclaimed.<br/>"She could be useful and she didn't get much time--"</p><p>"Wait!" Makoto interrupted.<br/>"Before you go any further, you should probably read the instructions."</p><p>He pointed to a sign and Yana went over to it. She read it to herself quietly and gasped.</p><p>"What? What is it?" Sybille asked.</p><p>Yana gulped.</p><p>
  <em>"You have found the Well of Resurrection. Unfortunately nothing is free. In order to bring someone back from the dead, you must sacrifice someone else as an exchange. This qualifies for all persons you wish to bring back. If you attempt to cheat the system, your souls will all be purged from your bodies and sent to the Cursed God."</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Prisoner to Despair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A writer discovers that she's being seen as useful after all.....<br/>....but not in a way that she wants to be seen as.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Back at his palace, the Cursed God was pacing anxiously around his chambers. He had yet to hear from her. Two hers. One he loved, the other he despised. The latter was currently working on a mission she claimed would benefit them both. The former, he knew, would be a fruitless effort to speak to. He knew she hated him, and yet it was important that he made her his queen-his goddess. She needed to love him, to save him and his kingdom. She was what he deemed the Magic 8th. If she were to die, the soul inside would ascend to Heaven, for it had been nearly a millennia since her soul had been kept from Heaven. Once it did, it would be impossible for him to stop it, and his kingdom would be swallowed to complete annihilation. </p><p>"You still worrying that bad, boss?"</p><p>The Cursed God was stunned out of his thought stupor by the sound of a man entering the room. With his large, muscular right arm, it'd be difficult to mistake him for anyone else. </p><p>"C'mon, you gotta get your head back in the game," Wilmer told him.<br/>"Worry about her later. Right now, you gotta find more vessels, especially for those other six you were talking about."</p><p>"I can't help it!" he snapped.<br/>"She has Lydia's soul inside of her and it's the only thing that can fix this mess along with her maiden status. If she dies, then it's all over." </p><p>"She's not that special--"</p><p>"Shut your goddamn mouth, you heretic!" </p><p>Out of nowhere, Wilmer was flung back, his head hitting against the wall. The Cursed God radiated fury.</p><p>"She's the Magic 8th. She is the one who's meant for me. There is no one else who can even compare."</p><p>"That's......because of the soul...."</p><p>Wilmer was struggling to speak. He pushed himself off of the wall, leaving the dent just as a woman walked in.</p><p>"You're here?" the Cursed God asked.<br/>"Don't you have a hotel to run?"</p><p>"Serrvece has been slow sence Mestec showed op. I don't think et'll be pecken back op ferr a while nu."</p><p>"Who the hell--?" Wilmer asked.</p><p>"Grrezel MacFarrlane," she introduced.<br/>"Ay rron a hotel en Everrlock, but onleh when et's weshed ferr."</p><p>Wilmer blinked and turned to the Cursed God.</p><p>"Is she speaking English?"</p><p>"Ay'm fre Scotland!"</p><p>It was at that moment that the Sorceress walked in. </p><p>"My Lord, we've finally managed to harvest more of those parasites."</p><p>"Oh hell yeah!" Wilmer exclaimed.<br/>"See? We can get you back in the game, boss! Once we make those other writers our puppets, you'll be back to your old self, which is not an emo girl on her period."</p><p>The Cursed God took a deep breath and sighed. </p><p>"You're right. I have to focus on building my kingdom. I can only do that if I have the servants to help me. The rest of you shall oversee their work. Luke!"</p><p>The clown in question came rushing in.</p><p>"How many writers are there?"</p><p>Luke took out a list and did a count.</p><p>"I've actually lost count since they've added more than they've lost."</p><p>"Send parasites to the ones no one will notice missing, like Delta."</p><p>"Oh, there's no need for that, Cursey."</p><p>A girl in pink pigtails and a schoolgirl outfit-Junko, of course-entered the room followed by a girl with uneven long hair and a soldier girl, both had demented spirals in their eyes. Between them, and subtly struggling to escape, was a writer who looked fairly young, but who he knew was in her late thirties.</p><p>"We've already picked one for the project," Junko said.</p><p>"Best part about it is she's completely ruined her ankle," said the girl with uneven hair.<br/>"So I don't think she'll be going anywhere anytime soon."</p><p>"That's gud te hearr," Grizel smirked.</p><p>The writer stopped struggling and stammered.</p><p>"Aww, Mikan," Junko said with fake sadness.<br/>"You know you could totally fix her ankle up, right?"</p><p>Mikan nodded.</p><p>"But if she stays injured, she'll rely on me. Sick and injured people need a nurse."</p><p>"W-wait a second! P-project? What project?"</p><p>"Hey!" Junko snapped, flicking her in the temple.<br/>"I told you, you're not allowed to speak unless I tell you to."</p><p>"Screw you!" the writer snapped, her struggle returning.<br/>"I'm older than you."</p><p>The Cursed God was taken aback by this writer's courage. He knew that she was usually pretty timid under normal circumstances.</p><p>"That do'ent mean ye can teel herr off, ye wench!" Grizel snapped.</p><p>"I'm not going through with this project, whatever it is!"</p><p>"Oh? But you'll finally be useful for once," Junko pouted.</p><p>The writer's face softened a bit.</p><p>"Wh-what?"</p><p>"I mean, you're always complaining about how useless you feel. It's honestly getting dull at this point. So going through this will assure that you're more than just useful: you'll be prodigal."</p><p>The writer was weakening, that was apparent, but she tried to remain strong.</p><p>"I don't care. I won't do it," she gasped.<br/>"You can't make me. I'm getting out of here!"</p><p>"And how are you going to get away? My sister and that nurse bitch--"</p><p>"Language!"</p><p>"--have you pinned tight to their grasp. Also your ankle is totally shattered, so how are you gonna be able to get out of this room, let alone the castle?"</p><p>"I'll find some way out! And when I do, I'll tell the Society all about what's going on!"</p><p>Junko pouted.</p><p>"Aww, that's too bad. Then I guess we'll just have to hunt you down again and make your little friends watch you die."</p><p>"You're gonna kill me?!"</p><p>"Only to force those two to fall into despair."</p><p>The writer's eyes widened.</p><p>"T-two?"</p><p>Junko smirked.</p><p>"Did you <em>really </em>think I didn't know about their existence? I read your whole file, which only directed me to <em>their </em>files. And with our technology, we can extinguish that 'light' of hers."</p><p>"Ha!" the writer laughed.<br/>"As if! Her light comes from the Lord. She'll decimate you completely!"</p><p>The pig-tailed girl took out a remote and pressed a button. A TV screen emerged from the ceiling. </p><p>"You---!" the Cursed God gasped.</p><p>"I had it installed a few months ago," Junko said aside before turning back to the writer.<br/>"Anyway, if she should've decimated me...."</p><p>She flicked another button and the TV turned on. Static rang through the writer's ear before showing a black and white video of two people, a man and a woman, chained up in separate cells. The woman was glowing profusely and definitely in pain. </p><p>"Then how did I manage to take her captive?"</p><p>All of a sudden, the woman cried out in pain. The man banged on the wall.</p><p><em>"Dawn!" </em>he called out desperately.</p><p><em>"Benny!" </em>she cried.<br/><em>"I....I can't hold out! It hurts! They're trying to extract it from me."</em></p><p>
  <em>"Just hang in there, Donnie. Hang in there and pray."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I-I'm trying, but it's agonizing! I can't think."</em>
</p><p>The writer felt tears emerging from her eyes.</p><p>"Dawn," she squeaked.<br/>"Benny....."</p><p>Fury ran through her veins. She whirled on the girl.</p><p>"Don't you have any empathy?" she snapped.<br/>"Dawn's in pain! Get her out of there!"</p><p>Junko cackled.</p><p>"Are you <em>seriously </em>trying to empathize with me? How pathetic."</p><p>"Why are you doing this?"</p><p>"Because I'm bored, duh! Despair is fun and unpredictable. Your precious hope for these two to survive rests with me, doll, so I suggest giving in before I do something drastic to those two."</p><p>The screams of pain from Dawn were getting louder and louder. The writer felt her muscles tense up and her head dropped as her eyes scrunched shut.</p><p>"Please!" she screamed.<br/>"Please let them go!"</p><p>She burst into tears. Hearing her cries of agony, Junko smirked and gave this some thought, letting it drag on just to torture the writer.</p><p>"Wellllllllllll," she said slowly.<br/>"I <em>might </em>consider it, but only if you agree to be the subject for this project."</p><p>"Pardon me," the Sorceress interrupted over the screams and cries of both Dawn and Benny.<br/>"I don't suppose you've introduced me to her. If she's going to be part of this 'project' you keep mentioning, I'm going to want a name."</p><p>Junko was about to answer when she heard heavy breathing. The writer had stopped crying and was now catching her breath, as well as gathering her courage. </p><p>"My name....." she began.</p><p>She then looked up at the Sorceress, not unlike Peter Capaldi had in <em>The Day of the Doctor, </em>her eyes glaring daggers.</p><p>"....is Delta. Delta Hatcher."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Gameplan For The Endgame?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>More like spa plan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"Celeste?! Celeste!"</em>
</p><p>I heard Emmy calling from the distance. That meant I wasn't dead, I think. Unless of course I missed out on something and Emmy secretly killed me while I was out cold. Opening my eyes, I saw a bunch of people surrounding me. Emmy, however, was taking up much of the frame of my eye.</p><p>"Oh thank the Songbird, you're alive!"</p><p>She kissed me on the forehead and I shivered.</p><p>"You know, you really should be asking her before doing things like that," Colleen remarked.</p><p>Emmy just seemed to brush her off.</p><p>"I was so worried that you had suffered some sort of horrid injury."</p><p>"I'm fine," I assured her groggily as I tried to sit up.</p><p>She pushed me back down.</p><p>"No, no, no," she said.<br/>"Not so quickly, dearest Celeste. We don't want you to get dizzy. Once you're relatively well, I think a visit to the spa is in order."</p><p>"Didn't I have one like 2 hours ago?"</p><p>"There's simply no such thing as too much pampering."</p><p>
  <em>I beg to differ.</em>
</p><p>"I mean, if you don't want it, I'll take it," a girl piped up.</p><p>"Aoibhe!" Colleen said through her teeth.</p><p>"What?! I could feel like a mermaid!"</p><p>"I apologize," I heard Emmy say.<br/>"But I would like this to just be for Celeste. Perhaps another time."</p><p>"H-huh?" I exclaimed quietly.</p><p>I felt uncertain about this. Alice and Ivy had just shown me a file in which it said that if I was to leave them, armageddon would begin. But at the same time, they weren't treating me horridly, so that was a plus.</p><p>"It will be perfectly fine," Emmy assured me.<br/>"No harm shall come to you."</p><p>"Wait....would I have to take my clothes off?"</p><p>"Well, I was certainly hoping we could wash your hair once again."</p><p>"That doesn't sound healthy for my hair," I protested.<br/>"Anyway, I'm shy about taking my clothes off in front of strangers, but I also don't like to bathe in clothes. Maybe we could do this another time?"</p><p>"But we so wish to pamper you, dearest."</p><p>"The others should be pampered too."</p><p>"They'll get their chance."</p><p>Honestly all of that sounded sketchy.</p><p>"You really don't----"</p><p>"Oh, but I insist. We'll use the privacy curtain again."</p><p>I glanced at the others and they shrugged. I had a feeling that Emmy was <em>not </em>gonna let up, no matter what I said. I sighed.</p><p>"How long will this take?"</p><p>"Depends on the treatment."</p><p>I shrugged.</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Gleefully, Emmy helped me up and lead me, this time, onto a bed on poles. That didn't look very safe, but when I got inside, Emmy clapped her hands and out came a set of arm rests that made a slight barrier. They were purple velvet with gold on the sides and as little decorations. They were, I guess, to make sure I didn't fall off. They turned the bed around and we headed down.</p><p>As we headed down, I heard exclamations of surprise from the others. I was confused for a moment, but kinda decided to shrug it off for now. All of a sudden, a beautiful white bird, settled itself onto one of the armrests. It had little flits of gold in each feather and when it sang, it had such a beautiful voice. I felt compelled to sing as well. I hummed a little melody. The bird seemed to enjoy it because it hopped closer to me. I smiled and hummed as we continued on.</p><p>It seemed like only a few minutes, but out of nowhere, I heard the sound of running water and the bird flew away.</p><p>
  <em>That was.....weird. </em>
</p><p>After a time, they stopped and put the bed down. Emmy appeared and clapped her hands. The arm rests lowered and Emmy helped me out. I went behind the privacy curtain as I heard some chanting going on nearby as some of the others helped to get my makeup off. When that was done, they let me change out of the clothes by myself. Lucky for me, the privacy curtain was near the bath, so I was able to step in without being seen. That was when I saw it.</p><p>Or more accurately, that was when I didn't see it. And by it, I mean my body.</p><p>"Oh, Celeste," Emmy said quickly.<br/>"Please don't be alarmed. It's merely a spell to maintain your modesty."</p><p>
  <em>Thanks, I guess.</em>
</p><p>The others left or went to other parts of the spa to go do....whatever, leaving me with Emmy.</p><p>"Are you comfortable?" she asked me.</p><p>I shrugged.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>It began with a slight misting and then water falling onto just my hair. I could hear the sound of bubbles forming and a bottle opening. That was when I felt soap in my hair. It was being spread so evenly and carefully, as if each hair was getting its own cleaning, right down to the roots and the scalp. The feeling was....kind of relaxing.</p><p>"You have such beautiful golden hair, darling," Emmy sighed softly.</p><p>It sounded like ASMR, and I <em>definitely </em>felt a few tingles. Not just from her voice, but also the fingers brushing through my hair.</p><p>"Thank you," I replied.</p><p>"So soft and glimmering. So many of us wish to have such glistening hair like yours. It's such a rarity where we are from. "</p><p>"I mean....you could use hair dye."</p><p>"Hair dye?" Emmy sounded repulsed at the mere idea.<br/>"Nonsense! Such toxic earthly chemicals."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>I was wondering if I should tell her that I've had hairspray and temporary hair coloring spray in my hair.</p><p>"Oh no, if it was for a day or so, it makes you no lesser to us. In truth, nothing shall ever makes us believe you are anything short of the divine being you truly are, my dear. It's simply that......shimmering golden hair is so rare that it's simply wrong to place chemicals in your hair to change it long-term."</p><p>Her voice began to sound extremely relaxing. I shut my eyes as she continued to meticulously wash my hair, and also I kinda zoned out. It felt like only a few minutes, but then I heard</p><p>"Alright, there we are."</p><p>I looked out the....window? The sun was setting. Had I been bathing for that long?</p><p>"We took care of your face whilst you were daydreaming," Emmy informed me.<br/>"You look so sweet when you daydream, by the way. So happy and thoughtful."</p><p>I blinked.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>She helped me out and let me dry off before I put on the robe. As soon as I did, it was back to the oils, lotions, perfumes, etc,. Then the makeup and finally the dress.</p><p>"Your saints are waiting in the dining hall, my dear. You must be starving by now."</p><p>I noticed that I <em>was </em>rather hungry. I nodded and Emmy clapped her hands. That was when I noticed she looked incredibly rejuvenated. The Robed Fucks returned with the bed/chair thing and I hopped on. </p><p>Once again, it was a long journey and I was given some berries to eat while there. The bird had returned and I gave it a few of them while humming. Finally we arrived into the tallest and most elegant dining hall ever. There were fountains, long tables, and dishes for days. They led me to the end of the table where a throne awaited. Two of the Robed Fucks began to fan me gently.</p><p>"How's the breeze?" Liza commented.</p><p>"What about the spa?" Alice asked.<br/>"You took a while in there."</p><p>I could tell she and Ivy had slightly-cautious looks in their eyes and for good reasons. I didn't want to talk about the file while Emmy and the others were there, and they probably didn't either. </p><p>"I think I zoned out," I answered.</p><p>"You did actually," Aoibhe piped up.<br/>"You were in there for like.....3 hours."</p><p>"You counted?"</p><p>Aoibhe blinked.</p><p>"No....I just know it was for a long time."</p><p>I'll spare you the details of the awkward dinner. In my head, I was coming up with a plan to discuss the file with the others and how to go about this without starting armageddon. Because Goodness knows I had a lot on my plate.</p><p>Metaphorically speaking. My dinner plate was pretty much empty. </p><p>I decided that I would have to study the routines of Emmy and these Robed Fucks as carefully as I could. Then I'd be able to figure out a time when I could sneak off to talk to the others.</p><p>
  <em>Let's hope this plan doesn't fall through....</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. A Greater Kingdom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While the group deals with Delta, someone else is revealed to have their own agenda for Mystic.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While the Cursed God was dealing with Delta, they snuck off to their own little lair. They didn't want him to know just yet, but he wasn't the only one after Little Miss Mystic. They had plans to get to her as well, and before he did. However, even if he <em>did </em>get to her first, they could always undo it, which would make her beneficial for them.</p><p>It wasn't a far walk to their lair, but it was difficult getting past the guards. But fear not. A little hypnosis always did the trick. Entering the castle, they spotted three shadows holding down a figure.</p><p>"Mistress, I've brought her to you," the one in the middle said.</p><p>She smirked while the figure struggled.</p><p>"Let go of me," she snapped coldly, her red eyes glaring all around.<br/>
"Do you wanna die?"</p><p>"Mistress is already," one shadow replied bluntly.</p><p>They chuckled as they knelt to the girl's level.</p><p>"You don't realize how much potential you're denying her by doing this."</p><p>The girl's red eyes matched up with theirs, but they weren't intimidated. Their plan had its own set of cautions to overcome. A mere girl with a knife was nothing to tame.</p><p>"What you're doing, it's wrong."</p><p>"Maybe to you, but you don't know the potential she'll have. With that soul gone, her true power will emerge."</p><p>"And you're not staying on his side?"</p><p>"Clever, aren't you?"</p><p>"You made a deal with him though. Why the hell are you going against him?"</p><p>"Times change, and by extension, people change."</p><p>They prepared their hands</p><p>"Now.....since you're refusing to cooperate, I'm afraid that I shall have to....persuade you."</p><p>The girl struggled once again, but a thick fog from their hands spread all around her, getting in through her ears, nose, and mouth. Soon their voice echoed inside her head.</p><p>
  <em>Don't struggle. Don't fight it. Give in.</em>
</p><p>She was desperate. She was supposed to use her talent to protect people, not to---</p><p>
  <em>Give in......it feels amazing. It feels empowering.</em>
</p><p>No! No! Why wouldn't her mind cooperate with herself? She was fading....fading.....<em>fading.....</em></p><p>
  <em>Yes.....give in....you'll feel so alive. </em>
</p><p>And soon, her head dropped.</p><p>They smirked and chuckled.</p><p>"How do you feel now?"</p><p>The girl slowly lifted her head.</p><p>
  <em>"I feel wonderful, mistress."</em>
</p><p>Her eyes opened. They had changed from red to a vibrant-amethyst purple. </p><p>"Now will you agree to do this?"</p><p>
  <em>"Yes, mistress."</em>
</p><p>Condescendingly they patted her on the head.</p><p>"Good girl. Now....go....and make it painless."</p><p>Obediently, the girl stood up, weapon in hand and walked out of the castle. The figure, satisfied, conjured up a vision of Mystic. They saw her lying unconscious on a couch.</p><p>"Mystic, my Mystic," they sighed.<br/>
"I have chosen well."</p><p>The shadows gathered around to look at it with them.</p><p>"After all," they continued.<br/>
"You deserve a greater kingdom."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tana: *briefly popping in.* THIS looks like my Instagram.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The First Sacrifices.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The toughest decisions must be made. Also a minor character steps up and takes on a bigger role.</p><p>(CW: People die?, read at your own discretion.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a few moments, no one said a word. How could they? They had just found out that they were gonna have to sacrifice someone in order to bring <em>someone else</em> back. What kind of fucked-up logic?</p><p>"Are you kidding me?!" Sybille exclaimed finally breaking the silence.<br/>"What sort of bullshit--?"</p><p>"This isn't supposed to happen!" Briar added.<br/>"This is the exact <em>opposite </em>of what's supposed to happen!"</p><p>"But you can't cheat the system if you don't want to get extracted," Makoto sighed.<br/>"So.....if you want to bring someone back....you've gotta make some tough choices."</p><p>The group glanced at each other.</p><p>"I mean," Silvia piped up.<br/>"Should we even <em>bring </em>someone back?"</p><p>"There are a lot of people who didn't get any chances to do anything," Stella said.</p><p>"But at the cost of someone else's life?"</p><p>"They sacrificed their lives for us," Tristen pointed out.<br/>"Albeit unwillingly, but is it fair for them to <em>stay </em>dead?"</p><p>"I think Nina should go," Nikita spoke up.<br/>"Girl's getting in the way of a perfectly good couple."</p><p>"We shouldn't decide who's dying," Montana defended.<br/>"Until we decide who we bring back."</p><p>The others sighed.</p><p>"So who <em>are </em>we bringing back?" Destorm wondered.</p><p>"Well," Ines shrugged.<br/>"This is just my opinion, but I think bringing back someone like Jesse would give us an advantage. Or Alex."</p><p>"I'm on board with that," Orpheus said.<br/>"Jesse was a cool guy."</p><p>"I think we should bring back Kyrie and Cyrille," Briar said.<br/>"They were the first to die and didn't get to do much. Seems only fair that we give them a second chance."</p><p>Envy blinked in confusion. He guessed that the ones Briar mentioned were people who had died before he met Mystic and the others. </p><p>"But will they be helpful to us?" Destorm asked.<br/>"Or will they just slow down the group? Because we need people who will pull their weight. If they can't keep up with the group, that's not just their problem. It holds everyone back. They essentially become dead weights and we need to drop the dead weights."</p><p>"That's a rather morbid philosophy," Teala gulped.</p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>"I'm just saying that that's what's gonna be for the best of the group. But with all that said, Ines makes a good point. Someone like Jesse will provide us with an advantage."</p><p>"I say we also bring back Lele," Silvia said.<br/>"If we have someone chaotic, they can help distract the enemies and give us a chance to attack from the other side."</p><p>Destorm smirked.</p><p>"See? She's got the right idea."</p><p>"Okay, but we don't know what people like Kyrie and Cyrille are capable of," Briar pointed out.<br/>"For all we know, they could be super helpful to us. Yeah, they may also hold us back, but if we just leave them dead, then we'll never know."</p><p>Hearing this he pondered over it for a few moments.</p><p>"That's a decent point, but are you sure you're willing to take that risk?"</p><p>"If it'll benefit the group," she shrugged. </p><p>"Should we just bring back everyone who died in the Nutcracker relay?" Tristen asked.</p><p>"No, that seems excessive," Ines objected.<br/>"I say, we start with those four and then we'll see if we want to bring back more."</p><p>This prompted some nods. After this, the group looked at each other and gulped. Now it was the difficult choice; who were they gonna throw down into the well?</p><p>"We've got a lot of silent people," Orpheus pointed out.<br/>"Some of them have barely said anything. Maybe we can throw them down."</p><p>"No, wait, hang on--" Teala began.</p><p>"With all due respect," Nikita interrupted.<br/>"Nina the Hoe needs to go."</p><p>"I was just concerned!" she trembled.</p><p>"I feel like there's enough of you writers," Destorm added.<br/>"For us to bring back everyone."</p><p>"Yeah, but---" Stella began.</p><p>"Enough!" Montana snapped, causing the group to go quiet.<br/>"We can't fight about this. We need to pick rationally."</p><p>"Maybe we should throw Orpheus down there," Hyacinthe piped up.<br/>"Since he wants to get all of us quiet ones killed."</p><p>"I'm just trying to get rid of those who won't even try to help," he argued.</p><p>"So you're just gonna come for us like we're nothing?" Kasey said.</p><p>"A lot of us can be helpful," Haven added.<br/>"We just don't get the chance to prove it!"</p><p>"Hang on," Lenox piped up.<br/>"I'm just wondering. Is there anyone who wants to volunteer to bring someone back?"</p><p>The group looked around at each other, waiting for someone to speak out.</p><p>"Bitch," Darby said, causing the group to jump.</p><p>"Oh! Sorry," Montana exclaimed.<br/>"I forgot you were still there."</p><p>"A lot of us haven't really gotten the chance to say much of anything," Sequoia sighed.<br/>"So it's reasonable to be shocked."</p><p>"But are any of you volunteering?" Briar asked.</p><p>"Hell no!" Lacey exclaimed.<br/>"I've got a whole life ahead of me. I'm not planning on dying!"</p><p>"Plans can change," Sasha sniffed.</p><p>It sat in Lacey's mind for a moment before she connected the dots.</p><p>"Oh. Okay," she rolled her eyes.<br/>"Steal that Christmas line from me, won't you?"</p><p>"Can we just <em>kill </em>someone already?" Orpheus snapped.<br/>"I wanna bring some people back."</p><p>"Maybe we should ask someone to pick for us," Marly suggested.<br/>"An outside observer."</p><p>All eyes turned to Makoto. He shook his head and the eyes turned to Envy.</p><p>"M-me?!"</p><p>How was he supposed to decide who lived or who died [or who told their stories]? </p><p>"You've been kind of an outsider," Cedar said.<br/>"So you don't seem to have a bias for or against too many of us."</p><p>"Okay but Makoto--"</p><p>"The dude went through a killing game!" Haven snapped.<br/>"Do you actually expect us to tell him to kill one of us?"</p><p>Envy fell silent.</p><p>"Look. We'll tell you who we're bringing back," Montana explained.<br/>"And then you point to one of us at random, don't think too hard on it either. You can close your eyes if you want to."</p><p>Envy gulped, but reluctantly nodded and shut his eyes. </p><p>"Okay," he heard Montana say.<br/>"This one's to bring back Jesse."</p><p>With a trembling finger and his throat closing up, he slowly pointed.</p><p>"Uh....Envy?" Briar asked.<br/>"You need to be facing us for this to work."</p><p>He opened his eyes to find that the group wasn't in front of him. Did he turn himself around without even knowing? Reluctantly he turned himself to face the group, shut his eyes, and with a trembling arm, pointed at one of them.</p><p>He opened his eyes to see who he chose.</p><p>"What? N-no!" Sasha cried out.<br/>"Guys, don't do this!"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Montana sighed.<br/>"But we need people to come back."</p><p>Sasha's eyes filled with tears as Caelan and Marly reluctantly held her back so that she couldn't escape. Montana could feel her eyes welling up, but she tried to swallow them down. She was beginning to take on a bigger role now and she didn't want the group to think she was weak. Gulping, she turned to Makoto.</p><p>"How do we do this?"</p><p>Hearing this, Sasha cried out.</p><p>"Help! Please! I don't want to die!"</p><p>Makoto clenched up upon hearing this, but he knew he had to stay strong. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest.</p><p>"You....you just say the name of the person you want to bring back and then the person......they go into the well."</p><p>Montana gave a single nod as Caelan and Marly forced a screaming Sasha onto the edge of the well. Looking down, Sasha couldn't see the bottom at all. </p><p>"Jesse Wellens," Montana said aloud.</p><p>"Please," Sasha cried under her breath.<br/>"Please don't let my death be for nothing."</p><p>She felt the two let go and then a single push. She felt the adrenaline coarse through her, her heart clenching up. And then....</p><p>her eyes shut.</p><hr/><p>The group waited for something-anything-to happen. Meanwhile some of the others were trying not to cry over Sasha's death.</p><p>"I-I know she didn't do much," Darby quivered.<br/>"But....God....no one wants to see someone die, especially when they could stop it."</p><p>Yana was curled up into a ball, while Sybille was trying to stay strong. </p><p>"Something <em>has </em>to happen," she assured herself.<br/>"We didn't push Sasha down that god forsaken well for nothing."</p><p>Sometime went by and the group was beginning to feel pits in their stomachs.</p><p>
  <em>"Hello? Is someone there?"</em>
</p><p>Ines perked up and turned around. There he was: the Outlaw in the flesh.</p><p>"Jesse!" Kasey cried out.</p><p>A bunch of them ran to him and hugged him, tears staining his jacket.</p><p>"Let me feel you, please," Briar said urgently.<br/>"I need to know if this is legit."</p><p>She felt around him. Once she was satisfied, she gave a teary smile.</p><p>"It's really you!"</p><p>Jesse looked confused.</p><p>"Of course it's me," he chuckled.<br/>"What the hell happened?"</p><p>"We had to sacrifice someone to bring someone else back," Nina said before it hit her.<br/>"And now....we have to do that....at least three more times."</p><p>The realization hit the group drastically and they all reformed for a teary-eyed Envy to pick again.</p><p>"Okay," Montana breathed.<br/>"This one's for Lele."</p><p>Making sure he was facing the group, he shut his eyes and slowly pointed.</p><p>"No...."</p><p>He opened his eyes. One of the two who had been holding Sasha was now the one who was being hoisted onto the well.</p><p>"This is sick!" Caelan snapped as he struggled against Darby and Marly.</p><p>"You held Sasha when she had to die, what makes this different?!" Lacey snapped.</p><p>"You don't know what the fear's like until it's you up on here!"</p><p>Montana just wanted to get through this as soon as possible. She felt a tear on her face, but tried to suck it up. Taking a deep breath, she wasted no time.</p><p>"Lele Pons."</p><p>Darby and Marly let go and Montana gave him a push. Caelan cried out as he fell down into the deep abyss.....never to be seen again.</p><p>Montana felt her will weakening. It was so goddamn painful to do this, and yet, it was for a good cause, right? </p><p>
  <em>I think we need a break after this.</em>
</p><p>Tension was now high at this point, even despite the next voice they heard.</p><p>
  <em>"¿Hola? ¿Alguien aquí?"</em>
</p><p>Bursting into tears of relief, several people ran over to Lele and hugged her.</p><p>"What the hell?" she blinked.</p><p>"It's you! You're alive," Tristen wept.</p><p>Her eyes darted around.</p><p>"Uhh, yeah...."</p><p>"You're not surprised?"</p><p>"No, I am," she clarified.<br/>"I'm just trying to process what the fuck just happened."</p><p>"Okay," Montana blurted out.<br/>"I think we need a little break."</p><p>No one had time to object. They all collapsed on the forest floor. Waiting until they were preoccupied, Montana went off to a shed nearby and cried silently.</p><p><em>Is this what Joey feels? </em>she wondered.<br/><em>Having to kill people to save others?</em></p><p>It felt like the most sadistic zero-sum ever.</p><p>And the worst part was that.....they weren't even finished.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I mean, good for Montana for stepping up, but what's the cost?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Coddling of Chaos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We've got ourselves an ally AND two people in trouble.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So....you know how I said that I was going to track their movements to see when I can actually talk to the others about an escape plan?</p><p>Well, I quickly realized that that would've turned out to be <em>much </em>easier said than done.</p><p>They didn't leave me alone until I was in bed. And even then, they locked my door. Honestly so inconsiderate of them. What if I needed to go to the bathroom, huh? So that left me standing in a Guinevere nightgown, trying to figure out how I could unlock the door. I thought to use my teastones, but that was when I remembered.</p><p>I'd left them in the pocket of my other clothes.</p><p>That gave me another objective I had to overcome.</p><p>"Looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashion way."</p><p>That was when I heard a soft knock on the door. My heart froze. I slowly lowered myself down to the keyhole and peeked through. It was one of the saint robes, so I knew it couldn't be Emmy.</p><p>
  <em>"Mystic?"</em>
</p><p>I recognized the voice! Miss Devourer Distractor Extraordinare.</p><p>"Andrea? How the hell did you get here?" I whispered.</p><p>"We've been trying to look everywhere, so that we could talk. I have to warn you, it's not gonna be easy to get back down to our room. Those Robed Fucks are <em>everywhere.</em>"</p><p>"Nice to see someone else calling them what they are," I remarked.<br/>"Anyway, how am I gonna get out?"</p><p>"Alice took the risk of trying to find the key after we found out you were up here."</p><p>At that moment, we heard footsteps.</p><p>"Alice got taken!" I heard Gabbie whisper.</p><p>"See? Risk."</p><p>"Where did they take her?"</p><p>"They said something about....coddling therapy because she was fighting them?"</p><p>I shuddered</p><p>"That doesn't sound fun...."</p><p>"No, and Ivy got a good look at the room, well, as good as she could get. The windows are tinted, but she said she saw a lot of pink."</p><p>Hearing this, I practically gagged.</p><p>"Hang on a second! How did Alice not struggle? She doesn't give up that easily!"</p><p>"They just pulled out some sort of syringe and injected her. Then she went lights-out."</p><p>"Shit, now they probably know you're looking for me."</p><p>"Which is why we need to leave."</p><p>"No!"</p><p>That was the <em>last </em>thing I wanted.</p><p>"We can't leave yet."</p><p>"Why the hell not?"</p><p>I gulped. How was I supposed to tell them that leaving these fuckers would lead to the apocalypse?</p><p>"Because leaving these fuckers will lead to the apocalypse," I said almost automatically.</p><p>I guess like that.....</p><p>There was no sound for a time. Until Andrea spoke up.</p><p>"I'm sorry, leaving them is gonna lead to what?"</p><p>"Yeah, Alice and Ivy found a file on it. We need to get the upper hand before leaving or else they're gonna go fucking insane!"</p><p>"Fuuuuuuck."</p><p>Another set of footsteps.</p><p>"Aoibhe just got taken too!"</p><p>Tana.</p><p>"What?!"</p><p>"Yeah, she got rowdy and so they injected her. I think they're taking her to that therapy place or whatever."</p><p>"We have to get them back."</p><p>"But you're locked in!" Gabbie said.</p><p>"I know...."</p><p>All of a sudden, I heard a clang and something hooking onto something else. After that, I heard the sound of someone climbing up the side of the tower. Taking a peek out the window, I smiled at who I saw and ran back to the door.</p><p>"Guys," I said eagerly as they began to work the lock.<br/>"We have ourselves an ally."</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>(Alice's POV)</strong> </span>
</p><p>My breathing was heavy.</p><p>My eyes shot open, finding a bunch of pink.</p><p>It was overwhelming how much pink there was.</p><p>And a cutesy, yet creepy, music box was playing on my right.</p><p>Then I heard someone cursing on my left.</p><p>And a familiar voice began to speak.</p><p>
  <em>"Oh come now! Don't fuss so, dearie. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is exactly why you are here. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are far too rowdy and foul-mouthed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But fear not. This shall change all of that."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The fuck are you doing! Get that bear away from me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Shhh.....Shhh.....just let it happen, dearie. </em>
</p><p><em>It'll hug </em> <strong> <em>all</em> </strong> <em> of that nastiness right out of you. </em></p><p>
  <em>Then you'll be able to care for the dolls and have tea parties."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No! Fuck you! Let me go!"</em>
</p><p>Aoibhe.....</p><p>I tried to move, but I found myself restrained.</p><p>My eyes darted to both sides.</p><p>Giant, pink, fluffy</p><p>Pillows.</p><p>They were keeping me in a hold.</p><p>Footsteps.</p><p>Emmy appeared in my field of vision.</p><p>"Glad to see you're awake, dearie."</p><p>
  <em>Can't say the same about you.</em>
</p><p>She pressed a button.</p><p>One pillow lifted up.</p><p>A claw lifted me up for about ten seconds.</p><p>I was set back down onto a pillow of fluff.</p><p>
  <em>"I love you!"</em>
</p><p>A teddy bear?</p><p>The arms and legs wrapped around me like a koala around eucalyptus.</p><p>I couldn't get out.</p><p>"What...</p><p>What's going on?!"</p><p>"You're having a therapy session."</p><p>What?!</p><p>"You were far too rowdy, so we must rehabilitate you,</p><p>make you sweet."</p><p>There was a scent coming from the bear.</p><p>My mind was growing fuzzy.</p><p>Difficult to think.</p><p>I didn't even have a chance to struggle.</p><p>Emmy smiled.</p><p>"You see?</p><p>You're already responding so well.</p><p>At this rate, you'll be out <em>much </em>sooner than your friend."</p><p>Plant Boi...</p><p>Purple Boi....</p><p>The Dream World....</p><p>Fading away?!?!</p><p>No!</p><p>I can't....</p><p>let that....</p><p>.....</p><p>No.....</p><p>I began to fight.</p><p>"Dearie, no..." Emmy soothed.</p><p>Why....</p><p>Her tone was...</p><p>working?!</p><p>"Just let this happen.</p><p>Forget all of that nastiness.</p><p>All of that violence.</p><p>All of the pain, the worry, the anger.</p><p>Just let it all slip away from your mind."</p><p>No.</p><p>I couldn't lose Plant Boi!</p><p>I couldn't lose Purple Boy!</p><p>I.....</p><p>What were their first names?</p><p>No...</p><p>I....</p><p>I was forgetting. </p><p>I couldn't see....</p><p>the dream world was gone.</p><p>I wanted to cry out for someone to help,</p><p>Someone,</p><p>anyone,</p><p>please!</p><p>But....</p><p>The scent fogged up my mind further. </p><p>
  <em>Gotta....hold....on.....</em>
</p><p>My memories....</p><p>Going.</p><p>Being replaced.</p><p>No! Stop this!</p><p>I don't---</p><p>"No more nastiness and violence."</p><p>
  <em>No more nastiness and violence.</em>
</p><p>"No more nastiness and violence."</p><p>
  <em>No more nastiness and violence.</em>
</p><p>"No more nastiness and violence."</p><p>
  <em>No more nastiness and-----</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.........</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Brainwashed Unwashed?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Short answer: Nope.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emmy had gone to take a break. When she came back.....</p><p>“What kind of therapy is this!??”</p><p>She was stunned to see Alice on the ground.</p><p>“What in the world-?“</p><p>Emmy grabbed Alice.</p><p>“Ow-“</p><p>How? It should've worked.</p><p>“What nonsense are you spewing?”</p><p>“Get away!! Let me go!! Let me go-“</p><p>She sighed as her robed people lifted the bear back up.</p><p>"You poor dear..." she cooed.</p><p>"LET ME GO."</p><p>Flinching, she stuck a finger in her ear.</p><p>"We'll have to make you sober."</p><p>"S-sober? What are you talking about?!"</p><p>She was set back down into the bed, and two fluffy mittens were placed on her hands. She tried to grab onto something-anything-but the mittens made it impossible to grab onto anything. What was worse was that they were tightening them to make sure she couldn't take them off. Next a fluffy pastel-pink sweater jacket was placed on backwards so that it restrained her arms. Two more giant teddy bears were placed on her side and hugging her, but not suffocating her. The fluffy pillows went up and were doubly reinforced. Next a VR headset, decked out in pink, was placed on her head. Emmy flipped on the switch and a soothing pink spiral began to form. The headset was tightened so that she couldn't take it off, and next, headphones were placed onto her, playing that music box. </p><p>Alice tried to close her eyes, but she found the spiral to be too comforting to look away from.</p><p>
  <em>No! What's going on?! I....I....</em>
</p><p>Unbeknownst to the girl, the music box was full of subliminal messages and conditioning; she couldn't hear them, but her subconscious was absorbing each one of them.</p><p>Finally a gas mask was placed on her nose and mouth. It was pumping in a gas that was relaxing her mind, making it into malleable putty, so to speak. The gas smelled like sweets and flowers. With this, Alice's mind began to melt, so to speak.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Michael and Envy.....</p><p>"What?" </p><p>Michael seemed to notice that it was getting foggier. The magic that had made Alice act drunk was beginning to reform.</p><p>"No!" Envy cried out.</p><p>He was about to throw out his vines to grab it.</p><p>"No!"</p><p>Michael stopped him.</p><p>"It's extremely volatile. If you touch it, you'll fall under the spell."</p><p>"I'd rather take that chance than lose Alice."</p><p>"I'm not letting you!"</p><p>"Well, what am I supposed to do?! Just let her be brainwashed! I have to stop this once and for all."</p><p>Michael blinked.</p><p>"Envy...."</p><p>"I'm going to stop this!"</p><p>"But Mystic---"</p><p>"She's putting people in danger! I have to stop this. No more of this!"</p><p>
  <em>"You backstabbing bastard!"</em>
</p><p>"...."</p><p>It was her?!</p><hr/><p>The others finally managed to unlock the door and enter just as our ally jumped through the window. </p><p>"Alison!" Gabbie gasped as Ivy and the others arrived.<br/>"Thank God you're here!"</p><p>"How did you get down here?" Liza asked.</p><p>"The same as the rest of you, except with a little more caution."</p><p>"You can help us find a way out and keep those fuckers from going insane, right?" I asked.</p><p>Alison took a deep breath, and I could tell that that was a difficult question to answer, how the fuck did I not know that before? Maybe I'm just a dumbass.</p><p>"One can only hope for now. However Kirigiri calling me in was definitely a step in the right direction."</p><p>"Who the fuck is Kirigiri?" Tana asked. </p><p>"Do you have the file?"</p><p>Ivy handed it over. Alison took a look at it. </p><p>"Okay, we'll need to approach this delicately. One wrong move and we'll have to make a break for it, no questions asked."</p><p>"But what if--?"</p><p>"We'll hole them up in here if we have to."</p><p>"If it comes to that, will that hold them?"</p><p>Alison didn't give an answer. She pursed her lips, and I began to get nervous.</p><p>"Alison, will that hold them?!"</p><p>At this point, my vision began to blur up and I stumbled around before I passed out.</p><hr/><p>I opened my eyes. I was in a room of white. I guess I was out cold. That was when I hear voices. One that I recognized and one that was new to me.</p><p>
  <em>"Well, what am I supposed to do?! Just let her be brainwashed! I have to stop this once and for all."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Envy...."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm going to stop this!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But Mystic---"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She's putting people in danger! I have to stop this. No more of this!"</em>
</p><p>I thought he understood! My fists clenched up in anger and I ran towards them.</p><p>"You backstabbing bastard!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Fuming Anger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which I'm a toxic person.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even in my state of fury, I saw Envy stumble back, his vines retracting. </p><p>I gave him a good push and he fell to the ground.</p><p>"What the hell?!?" I snapped.<br/>"I thought we came to an understanding!"</p><p>He took a few moments to recompose himself.</p><p>"This is putting people in danger," he said.<br/>"I have to put an end to it."</p><p>Our volume gradually increased.</p><p>"You're not doing shit! This is the second time we've had to have this conversation!"</p><p>"She's being brainwashed!"</p><p>"How is that <em>my </em>fault?"</p><p>"If you hadn't let the Cursed God in---"</p><p>"How was I supposed to know any of this would happen?"</p><p>"You're the one who started this! It's your fault!"</p><p>"You think I don't know that?!?!!"</p><p>I was shrieking at that point, as tears started forming.</p><p>"You think that that thought doesn't taunt me in the back of my mind every waking second?! You think I enjoy watching my friends die?! You think I <em>like </em>the fact that Alice is getting brainwashed?! You know, you're always thinking about her. Alice this, Alice that. Alice, Alice, Alice! That's all that comes out of your mouth! What about everyone else? What about me? What about Ivy? You know, your own sister?"</p><p>That last question made his anger drop. </p><p>"I......"</p><p>I could tell he was speechless.</p><p>"Without this story, would you two have been reunited?"</p><p>Hearing this, he gulped.</p><p>"P-Probably not," he mumbled shamefully.</p><p>Feeling the anger dissipate slightly, I sighed, bowing my head. </p><p>"Look, I'm sorry that this story is putting people in danger, okay? I'll be the first to admit that I hate seeing people I care about in danger like this. But I'll also be the first to admit that there are some things about it that I <em>enjoy. </em>I like feeling like what I do actually matters for once. I like feeling like I can be the hero. In the real world, none of what I do matters. But here, my decisions have a big impact. How the hell am I supposed to just give that up?"</p><p>"That's a toxic mindset to have, and your actions are toxic," the purple guy said.<br/>"At least from what I've heard."</p><p>"I know," I admitted, nodding.<br/>"I know. My actions have been toxic and they'll probably be toxic again at some point, and I'm not proud of that. I've been putting my emotions and my self-worth into the hands of others and making them feel responsible for my happiness, I've been leading people on, I've been running away and making them come find me, and I'm kinda just an asshole overall."</p><p>"That....last one's really a bit of a stretch," Envy said.</p><p>I looked up.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>He sighed.</p><p>"You're not a butthole. You're hurt. We're both hurt. And hurt people hurt people. It doesn't excuse the toxic things you've done, but it doesn't mean you're a jerk. It just means you need to work on yourself. I get that with all of what's going on, however, you might not necessarily have the time to do that."</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>"I know, I know."</p><p>All of a sudden, I heard a roaring sound; I turned to see a ball of pink energy headed right for us.</p><p>"Duck!" I yelled out.</p><p>I knew Envy and I ducked, but I wasn't so certain about purple guy. I thought maybe he might be the one to get hit. And unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed. </p><p>I looked up to see purple guy with a cute, sweet smile on his face and a submissive demeanor. </p><p>"Oh....fuck...."</p><p>All of a sudden, the mindscape began to turn a pastel-pink. </p><p>"Am...am I getting infected?!"</p><p>Envy shook his head.</p><p>"Still just Alice, but now that Michael's infected too, it's gonna take much longer to get this out of her mind."</p><p>I tried to remain calm, but I was seriously panicking. How much power did Emmy have?! Enough to brainwash my best friend, apparently. </p><p>"Okay, okay. I should wake up any second now. We've got Alison here as backup, and there's a chance we can seal them away forever."</p><p>"They? Who's they?" Envy asked.</p><p>All of a sudden, the mindscape began to go dark for me. </p><p>"Sorry, can't talk, waking up."</p><p>Envy just blinked as I felt myself fading into consciousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hoo boy.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Job Interview?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let's check back in with Delta, shall we?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After that little confrontation thing, Junko had Delta sit at a table in the room. The second she was sat down, Delta winced. Sharp splinters had been poking out from the seat and back; now the pain was radiating through her. Not as though she had enough pain as it was. </p><p>"Could I.....get a different chair please?" She groaned.<br/>"This one has splinters in it."</p><p>Hearing this, Junko rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Beggars can't be choosers, sweetheart."</p><p>
  <em>Of course she would say that.</em>
</p><p>"Then can I at least have a chair for my ankle please? As someone with first aid training, I know that broken ankles should be taken care of as soon as possible. But since I know you're not gonna do anything for it yet, I also know that they should at least be iced down and elevated---"</p><p>"NEEEEEEEERD!" Junko yelled, interrupting her.</p><p>It caused Delta to wince.</p><p>
  <em>I wonder how much yelling I'm gonna have to hear from her from now on.</em>
</p><p>"She's right, though," Mikan said timidly.<br/>"Healing is very important, and if she's going to be the subject of this project, then at the very least, her ankle should be elevated and have ice applied to it."</p><p>Delta blinked, still confused by Mikan's attitude towards her. Wasn't she on Junko's side? Why was she looking out for her? Why was she being so nice to her? But at this point, she wasn't gonna complain. </p><p>
  <em>But still....what the heck <strong>is </strong>this project they keep talking about?</em>
</p><p>Junko rolled her eyes and sighed.</p><p>"Okay, fine. Then <em>you </em>get it for her, you pig."</p><p>"Don't call her that!" Delta spoke up.</p><p>
  <em>At least <strong>she's </strong>being kind to me!</em>
</p><p>"If she's gonna coddle you, then I can call her whatever the fuck I want, you hear me, Beta?"</p><p>"It's Delta!"</p><p>"I don't care. What kind of a name even <em>is </em>Delta? Were your parents <em>high </em>when they named you? I mean, come on. At least your OCs have normal names, but Delta? That's just pathetic. You're never gonna find Delta on any sort of name keychain. Ha! How do you feel about that? You're even invisible to <em>keychains. </em>How sad is that?"</p><p>It didn't seem sad to Junko. No surprise to Delta, she was laughing when she said that. Before all of this, she'd gotten herself up to speed on who Junko was, so her attitude was basically casual Friday.</p><p>
  <em>Why would I even care about keychains?</em>
</p><p>Soon Mikan returned with an ice pack and some pillows. She propped Delta's foot up on it, and snuck one under the seat of the chair she was sitting on. </p><p>"Anyway," Junko sat in a chair across from her.<br/>"I suppose you can think of this as like a job interview. I mean, you already have the job regardless, unless of course you want Benny and Dawn to die."</p><p>
  <em>No, I like them alive just fine, thank you very much!</em>
</p><p>"Otherwise, this is just to get you <em>kinda </em>up to speed on what the hell is gonna happen. Now I'm not gonna tell you <em>everything, </em>of course, but I'm guessing you're smart enough to figure the rest out, and if not, then too bad for you."</p><p>
  <em>At least I'm gonna finally know a bit about this project.</em>
</p><p>She had a guess of what it was based on the research she'd done, but Junko could possibly slip something in that Delta would be completely unprepared for. </p><p>"So Hope's Peak tried this experiment a long-ass time ago, only for that goddamn Future Foundation to ruin everything. I mean, that project turnout was the one who watched me make the entire fucking student council slaughter each other like savages."</p><p>
  <em>I <strong>really </strong>don't need to be reminded of that.</em>
</p><p>"Anyway they were using the Reserve Course funds to research talent, and then someone decided on this crazy-ass experiment; they decided to create the Ultimate Hope."</p><p>Delta was lowkey bracing herself for Nagito Komaeda to show up.</p><p>"It was basically the personification of talent and the prodigy of prodigies. But this came to mind when Cursey and the rest of us were discussing ways to get Mystic to give herself up <em>and </em>how to get more people on our side. We had to create the Ultimate Weapon of sorts. But the subject had to show some promise."</p><p>
  <em>This is gonna go the way I think it's gonna go, isn't it?</em>
</p><p>"Honestly I wanted to pick Mysty for the experiment. I mean, the girl's got magic locked deep inside of her, including one type of magic that could potentially destroy time and space if she didn't give a fuck about anyone else."</p><p>This was news to Delta. And it was something that the others in the group might not have known about. Now she had a leg up.</p><p>"But Cursey's a little bitch and whined about how it was gonna 'remove her innocence' and shit. Alice was my second choice. Girl's got dream magic for days. But Calvin's <em>also</em> a little bitch and said he wanted her. So then I decided to look through my other options. Honestly any of the writers were decent picks, but my eye caught your file after looking through a lot of the others."</p><p>Of course she wasn't even the second or third choice. Was this her brand now?</p><p>"I <em>will </em>admit; you've got a decent amount of intelligence, which <em>does </em>indicate some sort of potential. But the biggest reason I picked you was that I had something to hold over your head, or rather two <em>someones. </em>That, and you're the most invisible of the entire group. I think I actually passed over your file about a dozen times before I was aware that you even existed."</p><p>Despite Delta knowing that Junko didn't care about anyone's feelings, that still hurt her in a deep way. </p><p>"So with all of that said, I think you've figured out where this is gonna go."</p><p>She didn't want to admit it, but....she did. </p><p>"Before we start this project, I think we should let you in on some things you and the others are just <em>dying </em>to know."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>Junko smirked.</p><p>"Uh, duh! Like the traitor and the 8th token."</p><p>
  <em>I'm gonna be the first to know?! Now I have a major advantage, one that I can use to protect the others!</em>
</p><p>"First the traitor."</p><p>Junko looked into the shadows.</p><p>"You can come out now."</p><p>And they did. </p><p>Delta gasped.</p><p>"I had a feeling it was you!"</p><p>The traitor smirked.</p><p>"Then why didn't you say something? Oh right, because no one would give a fuck."</p><p>Big oof.</p><p>"And the 8th token. Now as you've probably figured out, it <em>is </em>a someone, not a something. And as you know, all 8 tokens must be destroyed at the exact same time. And the 8th token is...."</p><p>They showed a picture of them. </p><p>Delta's heart dropped.</p><p>"You....you monster!" she exclaimed.</p><p>"Chill out, doll," Junko said giving Mikan and Mukuro a gesture.<br/>"You've been dying to know, so I just gave you the answers. Not that it'll matter anyway."</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what? </em>
</p><p>All of a sudden she heard a click and felt something around her neck. </p><p>"Oh, that choker's just as a precaution," Junko explained. <br/>"If you try to escape, it'll inject you with a mind-control virus to keep you complacent. Anyway, we're done here. Mikan, Mukuro, take her to the holding cell."</p><p>"W-wait!" Delta exclaimed as they helped her up.<br/>"What did you mean when you said 'not that it'll matter anyway'?"</p><p>Junko gave a mocking pout as she stood up and and strutted over to Delta.</p><p>"Aww. And here I thought you were smart."</p><p>She cupped her chin and raised it to meet her eyes.</p><p>"I guess I'll just spell it out for you then; by the time we've finished with you, you'll have forgotten it all. In fact you'll have forgotten <em>everything </em>that you ever knew."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is a debacle.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Keeping with the Updates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We're getting some serious news here.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I'll be honest; I'd lost all sense of time after that bath, so when I woke up from that mindscape, I had no clue if it was day or night. I didn't even know if it was the same day or not. </p><p>"Mystic!"</p><p>Gabbie's voice rang in my ear. I'd forgotten that she was still there, if I'm being honest.</p><p>"What the fuck happened?" I asked.</p><p>"You passed out," Alison explained.</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"I mean....that much is obvious. And it should've been obvious that this cult of Robed Fucks has no plans to let me go."</p><p>"Yeah, I'd say that's a safe bet," Colleen replied.<br/>
"But Ro says she made a bit of a shocking development."</p><p>That caught my attention. My heart jumped and twirled in my chest.</p><p>"Is...is it a good shocking development?"</p><p>"The one <em>she </em>found is," Andrea added.<br/>
"The one <em>I </em>found isn't even fucking close to it."</p><p>"Let's hear yours first," I gulped, hoping to get the worst of it out of the way.</p><p>She pursed her lips.</p><p>"Well....we found out what goes on in that room they took Alice to, that's the good part of it. The bad part of it is that the room is for.....uh....how the fuck do I put this? Mind control? Brainwashing? Yeah, brainwashing sounds right."</p><p>My muscles tensed up.</p><p>"What the hell do you mean?"</p><p><em>"They're </em> <em>calling it coddle therapy."</em></p><p>This one was a new voice. I looked up to see its owner. It was a 15 year old girl dressed in all black. Adorable, but edgy, and she could see ghosts, so part of what I wish my personality could be.</p><p>"Lydia Deetz," I smirked.<br/>
"How in the world did you stumble into this clusterfuck of a shitshow?"</p><p>"Your answer's as good as mine," she shrugged.</p><p>"I'm guessing you brought the polter---"</p><p>That was when I saw him, making bunny ears and moose antlers and middle fingers behind Lydia's head. My eyes grew as wide as Jupiter, and Lydia could tell. She folded her arms and smirked.</p><p>"That answer your question?"</p><p>"Holy fuck, it's BJ," I gasped, my vocal cords running out of breath.</p><p>"Wait, who?" Colleen asked.<br/>
"I don't see anyone."</p><p>"Same here," Tana said confused.<br/>
"What am I supposed to be looking at?"</p><p>"I see something," Ro said.</p><p>"'S'a green-'aired demon."</p><p>Ivy.</p><p>"Ivy!"</p><p>I shot up, ran to her, despite Alison trying to hold me back, and practically squeezed the air out of her.</p><p>"Oh my God! You're okay," I cried.<br/>
"I thought you were a goner!"</p><p>"I don't go down so easily, love."</p><p>I felt a kiss on my forehead. Once I'd gotten it all out, I turned to the rest of them.</p><p>"Where are the others?"</p><p>"They stayed back in case those Robed Fucks came to check on us," Gabbie said.<br/>
"Said they'd try to keep them occupied."</p><p>"So...you got Alice and Aoibhe out....right?" I asked hopefully.</p><p>That was when I felt the air tense up, like a cord being twisted.</p><p>"Can I......finish what I was saying?" Lydia asked after several moments of suspenseful silence.</p><p>"Is it about--?"</p><p>She gave a nod.</p><p>"They were put through what that chick was calling coddle therapy, though I don't even know if they're out yet. From what I could see through the glass, they were wrapped in these giant pink pillow things and put into hugs from giant teddy bears."</p><p>"What's that supposed to do?"</p><p>"I'm guessing it's to keep them in line."</p><p>"Wait, wait, wait!" Tana exclaimed.<br/>
"Hold on. Can we go back to the part where Ivy was talking about a.....'green-'aired demon'? Did....did I say it right? What does green-'aired mean?"</p><p>Ivy sighed.</p><p>"It's a substitution."</p><p>"Substitution for what?" </p><p>"Me dialect."</p><p>"Your what?"</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"Her accent."</p><p>"So then why not just say accent?"</p><p>I walked over to Tana, glad that my Dialects courses were coming in handy.</p><p>"A dialect and an accent aren't always the same thing, because a dialect is usually more specific. With Ivy, she has a prominent inflection that stems from the Cockney dialect."</p><p>Tana snorted and I blinked.</p><p>"What the hell's so---? oh...."</p><p>"Sorry, I'm like five years old," she laughed.</p><p>That was when I also heard him.</p><p>"Not you too," I huffed at BJ.</p><p>He stuck his tongue out.</p><p>"Well, sor-RY if I have a particular sense of humor."</p><p>"You have the humor of a four year old."</p><p>"Seriously, who the hell are you talking to?" Colleen asked.</p><p>"This conversation is going in like twenty different directions," Andrea blinked. </p><p>"Should we just bring him out here?" I asked the goth girl.</p><p>"You want him to cause chaos?" she returned.</p><p>"No, not yet. I need more time to be confused by <em>this</em> chaos first."</p><p>"Then there's your answer."</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"Okay, so they went through something to keep them in line. We can undo that, right?"</p><p>"One can only hope."</p><p>"So then what's the good shocking development?"</p><p>"Well," Ro began.<br/>
"It's that there's another benefit to being short. They sometimes forget you're there."</p><p>"So then....what did you find out from them?"</p><p>Hearing this she smiled a little sadly.</p><p>"It's not the absolute greatest news, but........they have another token piece."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. The Floating Candle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yeah, things are gonna get spoopy soon.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"They....what?"</p><p>I couldn't believe what I was hearing.</p><p>"They have a token piece," Ro said once more.</p><p>"You're being serious, right?"</p><p>"I don't think Ro would lie about that," Colleen vouched.</p><p>"I just...."</p><p>I didn't know what to say. <em>Another </em>token piece?</p><p>"Wait, what?" Lydia asked.</p><p>"It's a long story," I assured her.<br/>"Anyway, there's gotta be a way we can take it from them without any of us dying."</p><p>"Except there probably isn't," Gabbie huffed.</p><p>"I mean, you never know," Ro shrugged.<br/>"Weirder things have happened."</p><p>"Yeah, but usually they're also worse things."</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>"We know that all too well, but Ro also makes a good point. Things could turn around for us one day."</p><p>"That'll be the day pigs fly," Tana sighed.</p><p>"Well, we have a better chance with Alison on our side," Ro added.</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>"We'll all need to find time today to discuss the plan more in-depth," the aforementioned responded.</p><p>"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," I said.<br/>"They rarely leave my side. I even tried to keep watch last night."</p><p>"Then we'll have to take the watch for you."</p><p>All of a sudden, we heard footsteps.</p><p>"Shit!" I exclaimed.<br/>"Hide!"</p><p>Everyone dove somewhere to hide as the doors opened to reveal the Robed Fucks with the bed on poles and Emmy, but also two new people.</p><p>"Good morning, darling Celeste," Emmy greeted.<br/>"I do hope you slept well last night."</p><p>"Not quite," I admitted with some contempt about this whole situation.<br/>"I've had....things on my mind. A lot of things. Things that I think someone may not be telling the truth about."</p><p>Emmy's face, I could tell that she knew that I knew something. There were just.....flinches in her muscles as her expression slightly changed that said she knew. </p><p>"Is that so?" she asked.<br/>"Well, we can talk through it if you would like."</p><p>"Yeah, actually, I would like that. When's your earliest appointment?"</p><p>"Anytime you wish."</p><p>That didn't really narrow things down for me. </p><p>"Mmm, I see. I guess you're more of a....walk-in appointment kind of lady, huh?"</p><p>"I beg your pardon, Celeste?"</p><p>"Or is it more like meeting with a priest? You can only do it when you're making a confession and when there's a wall between you and them."</p><p>Emmy gave a little cough and I pursed my lips, taking the hint.</p><p>"Perhaps you can tell me more during your bath; speaking of, it is waiting."</p><p>They lowered the bed thing and I got on, another little bowl of berries waiting as usual. On the way down, that little bird returned and nuzzled me. I smiled. Even if the cult was sketchy, there were still some nice things about it, like that little bird. Something was telling me that there was something I should know by now, but I tried to push it aside, opting to do a little humming instead. The bird seemed to like that choice.</p><p>In no time we were at the spa room thing and I hopped off of the chair. All of that other stuff was done and then I got in. Emmy seemed to have gotten much more relaxing overnight in terms of her technique. </p><p>"You seem to be enjoying your stay here, Celeste."</p><p>
  <em>Sorta, except that I'm essentially a prisoner to this cult. It's just a matter of when you'll 'fess up to it.</em>
</p><p>"So then what makes you believe that I'm not being truthful to you?"</p><p>How was I going to phrase this? I wasn't sure. Intuition? Lucky guess? </p><p>"I guess.....this all just seems too good to be true."</p><p>I guess that worked.</p><p>
  <em>I mean, that's not really a lie. It <strong>does </strong>seem that way. </em>
</p><p>"I can assure you that all of this is true," she told me.<br/>"And there's more to come."</p><p>"There's no way you're able to afford all of this," I told her.<br/>"Surely this must cost you quite a bit."</p><p>"Of course, but it's worth every bit to see you so jubilant and tranquil. Alongside that, several of us are very specialized in certain areas, so that <em>does </em>cut some costs. In fact several of us were trained in a particular area of skill from birth to appease you and cater to you."</p><p>Now <em>that </em>was interesting.</p><p>"From birth?"</p><p>"Indeed. Earnest has been training since birth to cook and bake to such a divine extent, and is a very honest man. Vincent is an excellent artist and will simply <em>adore </em>painting portraits for you. Cadence is a brilliant musician who will be most eager to provide accompaniment for you when you sing, along with Madrigal, Octavia, and Dulce. Louis is the most wonderful tailor and designer; I assure you, dear Celeste, all of your clothing is in good hands with him. Rose is such a lovely gardener; you'll find no flowers more colorful or so beautifully-scented than hers, I promise. Archibald, such a magnificent architect. He designed that throne room you were in yesterday. And those are simply to name a few."</p><p>"So then, what about you? How did you get chosen?"</p><p>Emmy considered this for a brief moment as she went to work on the shampoo.</p><p>"Well, I remember that I was told it'd been ages since they'd had a Headmistress. So when they sensed those leadership qualities in me as a child, I was trained to manage the entire colony in preparation for the day we'd find you and beyond. It's one of the most difficult and strenuous positions, but it's such an honor."</p><p>"How so?"</p><p>"Aside from the saints, the Headmistress spends the most time around our goddess, more than any of the others here. It is my duty to ensure your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, amongst others, are in their divine forms. I'm to be a confidant, friend, mentor, even mother figure to you when you need it. I'm to communicate to the others of your wishes and desires. I lead the colony in worship and praise. And that is the mere tip of the iceberg."</p><p>"Oh....well, I'm so sorry for any stress I've caused you," I gulped.</p><p>"You have nothing to apologize for, my darling goddess. What we do is with reason, and that reason is to ensure your happiness. All we pray for in return is relief from our suffering, the burdens we are forced to bear in exchange."</p><p>"In exchange for what?" I asked as she worked delicately on getting the tangles out of my hair.</p><p>"Our immortality. Not one of our species can die of natural causes. It's in our DNA. But in exchange for this, we bear immense turmoil, guilt, and suffering. And the only relief that is available to us is through song. <em>Your </em>song, to be precise."</p><p>"But why?"</p><p>Her brushing seemed to slow down a bit as she thought this over.</p><p>"I'm not quite sure. But for whatever reason, you were chosen, and I couldn't have asked for a lovelier reincarnation."</p><p>I could feel my cheeks blazing red as she moved on to conditioner.</p><p>"So where am I on this line of reincarnation?"</p><p>"You are the very first and only reincarnation."</p><p>
  <em>Holy fuck.</em>
</p><p>"That.....sounds like a lot of pressure."</p><p>"Rest assured, we shall deal with the pressure together."</p><p>As she was combing through my hair with a brush and conditioner, I didn't realized that she'd leaned in close.</p><p>"After all," she said softly.<br/>"That is what I am here for."</p><p>Sometime later, the bath was finished, back to the oils and stuff, then get dressed, and then out the door. Or we would've been out the door if one of the Robed Fucks hadn't burst in.</p><p>"Headmistress! Everyone! We're under invasion," someone said.<br/>"They demand to see you, Headmistress."</p><p>"But the goddess---" she gasped.</p><p>"I'll be fine," I assured her.</p><p>She kept asking me several times before I urged her to go, her colony needed her. So she left with them, and for the first time in a long time, I was alone. I could breathe. I could explore. And so, I got out.</p><p>I looked around the baths, not having had a full chance to explore before then. Something seemed to pull me towards the oils and lotions area. I swore that....I actually heard some whispering sounds. And over there, there was something against the wall. A keyboard of sorts. A musical keyboard with a set of notes written out on a note above it:</p><p>
  <em>A flat, B, C sharp, E flat, E flat, E flat, F sharp, F, E flat, C sharp/</em>
</p><p>
  <em>E, E flat, C sharp, B, C sharp, B, B flat, E flat/</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A flat, B, C sharp, E flat, E flat, E flat, F sharp, F, E flat, C sharp/</em>
</p><p>
  <em>E, E flat, C sharp, B, C sharp, B, B flat, B, B flat, A flat.</em>
</p><p>"The fuck? Is this supposed to open something?"</p><p>Now you'd think at this point I'd be smart enough not to try things that could lead to danger. But then again, I'm a dumbass bitch. So I played it, and it sounded eerie and yet magical at the same time. I waited around for a bit to see if anything would happen. Just as my impatient ass was about to give up, the keyboard played back to me the same melody, but with chords. As this was happening, a section of the wall seemed to vanish, and in its place was a curtain I'd never seen before. As dark as a midnight sky, but with twinkling and glittering stars. And I began to wonder if I should entertain the notion of exploring this unfamiliar place.</p><p>"Well, I've already gotten myself into trouble," I shrugged.<br/>"Let's make it double."</p><p>My footsteps echoed as I walked into the unfamiliar passage. I didn't even bother to look behind me. And neither did I look below until.....</p><p>"Gahh!"</p><p>My foot hit against something metallic, and for a second, I lost my balance. I held my arms out and my heart tumbled in my chest. I immediately got my footing back and, since whatever I hit didn't seem to have bitten me, I leaned down and picked it up as my hand brushed against a box of sorts along with a piece of paper. And then I reached out.</p><p>There was a wooden rung.</p><p>"A ladder...."</p><p>I looked up, but I couldn't see the end. </p><p>"Do I even <em>dare</em>?"</p><p>
  <em>Light me.....</em>
</p><p>"HOLY FUCKING MARBLES OF HELL, WHAT WAS THAT?!"</p><p>
  <em>Light me.....</em>
</p><p>All of a sudden, I heard a light scratching as something opened up. Then suddenly.....<em>thwick! </em></p><p>A small flame emerged from a levitating match.</p><p>No, I mean a small flame emerged from a <strong><em>levitating </em></strong>match.</p><p>And from the light, I could see something long and dark with some sort of stringlike thing on the top end. </p><p>
  <em>Take ahold of the match and shed light upon thine wick.</em>
</p><p>"Wick?"</p><p>I looked at the match, waiting expectantly for me to take hold. And at this point, I knew that I <em>definitely </em>couldn't go back.</p><p>"I mean, what's the worst that could happen?" I shrugged as I took hold of it.</p><p>With a trembling hand, the wooden stick shook as I brought it to the wick. The flame glided seamlessly onto it, and I quickly put it out before grabbing hold of the piece of paper. I began to wonder how this was supposed to help when out of nowhere, the flame seemed to shed away its golden hue, revealing a black flame.</p><p>
  <em>Hold on tight, my lady.</em>
</p><p>And that was when I felt myself floating upwards. </p><p>And as whatever mystical force at work lured me up like a fish on a hook, I had the strangest feeling that the cycle would soon begin once again. </p><p>
  <em>Falling into one place.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Floating into another......</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're not done with the cult quite yet, but stay tuned for the next installment, as well as maybe a few extra chapter on this one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. A Companion for the Captured</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We haven't checked in with Delta in a while, but there may be someone else grabbing her attention now.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The tiny beast had been found with a broken leg.</p><p>That was what Cindy had said. </p><p>The snake woman had been searching a nearby snowy woods when she stumbled across a tiny tiger cub, crying out for help. The cub looked to be about six to eight weeks old.</p><p>"I doubt I would've found it if it hadn't said a thing," she said.<br/>"It blended in with the snow so well."</p><p>"Said?" Benjamin asked in confusion.</p><p>Cindy nodded.</p><p>The cub, as it turns out, could speak with no current explanation. </p><p>"Where's your mamma gone?" Cindy asked.</p><p>"I....I don't know," the cub cried.</p><p>Feeling sympathy for the poor creature, Cindy had taken it back to headquarters to be healed, something Junko didn't take well to.</p><p>"Ugh, you seriously wanted to bring a mangy feline here?" she scoffed.</p><p>"The leg's broken," Cindy argued.<br/>"I wasn't about to just let it die there."</p><p>The Ultimate Despair rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Fine, just be sure to get rid of it once it's healed. We already have several monsters here. We don't need another one."</p><p>Cindy was relieved to hear this, and so was Mikan.</p><p>"I-I may not be a veterinarian," she told Cindy.<br/>"But I-I think I could apply some nursing techniques to help."</p><p>"That'd be wonderful," the snake woman smiled. </p><p>For the next few days, the two worked close alongside one another to heal the baby cub. They discovered that it was a female bengal tiger who had no name. The two asked her if she wanted a name and the cub nodded, but they couldn't figure out what to call her. </p><p>That was until Mikan started drinking tea. </p><p>She'd begun drinking it because not only was her anxiety acting up, but it was causing her insomnia. To compensate with the lack of sleep, she began drinking jasmine tea. </p><p>And that was when it hit her.</p><p>"Cindy!"</p><p>She was practically trembling with excitement as she caught up with the snake woman.</p><p>"Jasmine!"</p><p>Cindy's face turned to confusion.</p><p>"We'll call the tiger cub Jasmine!"</p><p>Coincidentally enough, the tiger cub heard this.</p><p>"I like it!" she smiled.</p><p>For about a week more, Jasmine spent extra time with Mikan and Cindy behind Junko's back. For the first time, the Ultimate Nurse felt as if she belonged somewhere and had a friend or two to keep her company.</p><hr/><p>But the same couldn't be said for Delta.</p><p>Stuck in her cell with a seemingly-comatose Rene, Delta had pretty much begun to go insane from the isolation. No one told her when she was going to be going through this project, and she knew that was what Junko wanted. And as much as Delta wanted to say that she wasn't giving what that despair-obsessed......b-word she'd say if she felt comfortable saying it.......wanted....</p><p><em>"99 bottles of pop on the wall," </em>she sang with a groan in her tone as she stared up at the ceiling.<br/><em>"99 bottles of pop."</em></p><p>her boredom, depression, and anxiety were saying otherwise. </p><p>As time went on, despite her trying to convince herself otherwise, she figured that it was likely she'd been forgotten about once again.</p><p><em>How on-brand, </em>she thought.</p><p>
  <em>"Take one down, pass it around, you've got 98 bottles of pop on the wall."</em>
</p><p>The only times she had any reassurance that people still knew she existed was when they arrived at her cell to bring her food. </p><p><em>"Fifty-eight bottles of pop on the wall, fifty-eight bottles of po--</em>okay, who even came up with that song?!" she groaned one day.</p><p>The boredom was especially getting to her today and she figured that this must be what a prisoner on death row feels like, except the only thing being executed was her identity and she wasn't being told the date of said execution.</p><p>All of a sudden, she heard the sound of scurrying paws and she perked up. Was it a puppy, a kitty? Maybe a rabid raccoon? Honestly any sort of company seemed preferable to her at this point. </p><p><em>And <strong>that </strong>is how you know you've hit rock bottom, </em>she sighed.</p><p>
  <em>"Go on, Jasmine."</em>
</p><p>"Cindy?" Delta whispered.</p><p>Who was Jasmine? Why was Cindy telling her to go on? And then out of nowhere, something white and fluffy slipped through the bars of her cell. A white bengal tiger.</p><p>The two paused as they stared at each other. </p><p>"Whoa....." the tiger said.</p><p>Wait.....the tiger said?!</p><p>"You-you can talk?!" Delta stammered.</p><p>"Yeah. Are you Delta?"</p><p>The woman nodded. Immediately Jasmine hopped up onto the bed and into her lap, much to Delta's surprise. This was a tiny furbaby being entrusted to her. But she certainly wasn't about to complain. There was only one issue, and that was how she was supposed to hide it from Miss Despair Bear.</p><p>For the time-being, however, she didn't have too much of a concern. This was the first time in weeks that Delta had had any sort of physical contact with a warm-blooded creature and she wasn't about to complain. In fact if she had any tears at all, they were tears of joy. Carefully she laid on her cell bed with the warm tiger cub and hugged her close. </p><p>Now the only thing she needed was a way out.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Deux Ex Halloweena</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Someone's getting a brief rescue.</p><p>CW: Suicide mention, animal cruelty mention.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time seemed to move faster. (both because of Jasmine and because the author doesn't know how time works. Let's just say time moves faster there.)</p><p>Delta had to stay on her feet to hide her fur baby from Junko, as Mikan had informed her that she made a promise to get rid of her when she was healed. So far, she'd been successful, yet there was no telling when Junko was gonna perform this experiment. It was agonizing, which was likely what Junko wanted. But Jasmine managed to make things more bearable for her.</p><p>Rene, who was still unconscious somehow, had been moved to a new area, Delta wasn't sure where, but now she had the cell to herself and Jasmine. Cindy made sure to sneak extra food and water for Jasmine when she gave Delta food. When things became too unbearable, Mikan came and tranquilized her to sleep. It wasn't the most ideal solution for her ennui, but you can't be bored when you're sleeping. Jasmine would always keep her company. And Delta was starting to like that Junko seemed to have forgotten her.</p>
<hr/><p>Well....until one day.....</p><p>Delta's guard had gone down big-time by now when she heard footsteps.</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, time for you to---what the hell?!"</em>
</p><p>Delta whirled around to see Miss Pigtails of Despair in full glory. And she was ticked.</p><p>"I told the snake bitch to get rid of that monster!"</p><p>Jasmine hissed at this.</p><p>"You leave mama alone!"</p><p>"And it <em>talks </em>too? Well, isn't that just a bundle of barrels. Anyway, it's time. We've got everything set up. Just hand that rat over to me and I can....deal with it."</p><p>You didn't need to be a genius to know what she meant by "dealt with."</p><p>"No!" Delta gasped, grasping onto the tiger protectively.<br/>
"I'm not letting you kill my furbaby!"</p><p>Junko blinked and folded her arms.</p><p>"Damn. Pretty ballsy of you, considering I still have your OCs held hostage."</p><p>Seemingly realizing something, she cackled in a way that made Delta's blood run cold.</p><p>"Looks like you're gonna have to do the trolley problem then, Deli! What's it gonna be? Your OCs or your furbaby?"</p><p>Hearing this, Delta gulped, going completely pale. For any of you who don't know, and so the author can get in at least 1K words a chapter, the trolley problem is a moral dilemma from the 1960s. It generally follows the idea that a trolley is hurdling down a track towards an intersection. On the side that it's going, there are five people tied to the track. But on the other is one person tied to the track. The one being asked the problem is at the lever, and they have to choose who dies. There's no getting out of someone dying. The choice is to either let the trolley kill the five people or switch the tracks so that the trolley kills the one person. And unfortunately, for Delta, she was currently facing it in real life. And she was stressing out, BIG TIME.</p><p>"I'll give you a hint," Junko rolled her eyes, seeing Delta fall prey to silence out of fear.<br/>
"Right now the trolley's heading down towards your OCs. If you wanna flip the lever and give that rat to me, be my guest. Or you can let the OCs perish. Not that this'll matter after the project anyway. Like I said, you'll remember nothing!"</p><p>This made Junko cackle again.</p><p>"What...what do you mean I'll remember nothing?!" Delta blurted out of nowhere.</p><p>Even though she'd seen the Despair Arc, the project had fallen out of her mind, especially in the fear of it all. She did <em>not </em>do well under stress, and this was no exception. </p><p>The Ultimate Despair fell silent and then rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Didn't I tell you this already?"</p><p>Delta just shrugged.</p><p>"Okay, fiiiiiiine-UH."</p><p>Junko folded her arms.</p><p>"When they first did this project, they had trouble putting every single goddamn talent into this fucker's brain. So they had to get rid of all those useless emotions, memories, they even removed his entire personality."</p><p>Delta's stomach churned. <em>Everything </em>would be gone? Everything she knew would be taken from her?!</p><p>"Honestly it was an improvement," Junko smirked as she checked out her nails.<br/>
"With him feeling as bored as I am all the goddamn time, I got him to watch me and my sister force those idiots on the Hope's Peak student council to slaughter each other and watch all of those reserve course students off themselves in one whole go. It was kind of a work of art."</p><p>"That's not art! That's murder!" Delta gasped.<br/>
"How can you go around murdering people and not even caring about who it is you murder?"</p><p>Junko just shrugged.</p><p>"I'm bored, that's how. Also you really <em>should </em>be thankful that I got you for this opportunity. I could've killed you, but I decided to make you a component in this new world that's coming. Once the barrier's down, the world's gonna fall to chaos, and with chaos comes complete and total despair!"</p><p>Another flash of cold ran through Delta.</p><p>"C-chaos?"</p><p>"Oh yeah, totally," Junko smirked.<br/>
"It's the only reason I agreed to work with Cursey to begin with. He promised me a whole section of the world dedicated to despair. I <em>was </em>hoping for another world, but he's a stubborn bastard. Said that it'd make Mysty cry or some shit. I gotta admit; for as powerful as she is, she's honestly a whiny little bitch."</p><p>"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" Delta snapped.</p><p>"Oh come on. You and I both know it's true. Do you know how many times she's run off because she felt like people don't care about her? Oh boo-fucking-hoo. What a crybaby---"</p><p>All of a sudden, Junko froze mid-sentence as a flash of light surrounded Delta and Jasmine.</p><p>"What's happening, mama?" Jasmine trembled.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>They felt it slowly envelop them. It shifted colors multiple times until they finally landed somewhere. And that was when they heard voices.</p>
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    <em>"H-huh?! You're.....they weren't.....!"</em>
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    <em>"Mystic?!"</em>
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